CAGAYAN DE ORO, Philippines – Police arrested the alleged gunmen in the killing of prominent medical practitioner Dr. Raul Winston Andutan in a dawn raid in their hideout in Balingoan town, Misamis Oriental, on Friday, December 3.

Cagayan de Oro City police spokesperson Major Evan Viñas said the alleged ring leader identified as Rene Tortosa – a former soldier and an eatery owner in Balingoan town – was able to escape the police dragnet.

Viñas identified the three suspects as alleged triggerman Joel Nacua; Marjun Cabog, the alleged driver of the getaway motorcycle; and Jomar Adlao, the alleged lookout – all from Bukidnon.

The arrests were made less than 24 hours after riding-in-tandem gunmen ambushed Andutan, medical director of the Jesuit-owned Maria Reyna Hospital, on Thursday morning, December 2.

Viñas said police managed to extract the CCTV images of the fleeing suspects, which led to their speedy arrest.

He said the raiding team found the suspects swimming at a beach in Balingoan town, some 88 kilometers northeast of Cagayan de Oro.

“The neighbors also told us the suspects had a drinking spree on Thursday night,” Viñas said.

The suspects admitted to reporters that they were responsible for the ambush-slay.

Nacua said Tortosa allegedly contracted them to kill Andutan for P150,000. He said the money would have been paid on Friday.

“I fired at the driver when the vehicle was two to three feet away from me. I continued shooting until the vehicle stopped. I must have fired four shots,” Nacua told reporters.

Nacua said Dortosa and Adlao served as their lookouts, who alerted him and Cabog as soon as the victim left his house in Barangay Macasandig.

Viñas said they would be questioning the suspects to check the veracity of their stories. – Rappler.com.

Froilan Gallardo is a Mindanao-based journalist and an awardee of the Aries Rufo Journalism Fellowship.