By Jennifer P. Rendon and Felipe V. Celino
Police here launched a manhunt operation against the son of a village chief for the killing of a couple Wednesday evening at a “talipapa” or marketplace in Brgy. Hipona, Pontevedra, Capiz.
Noli Navarro, 59, and his wife Juara, 56, were instantly killed after they were peppered with bullets while they were fixing their products on a talipapa or roadside market in Barangay Hipona around 6:30 p.m. Wednesday.
Witnesses pointed to Restituto Oquendo Jr., alias Sultan, 37, son of incumbent Barangay Captain Restituto Oquendo Sr. as the lone assailant.
The couple was taken to Bailan District Hospital but was declared dead on arrival due to multiple gunshot injuries.
Major Christopher Candelario, Pontevedra police chief, said Restituto Jr. immediately fled after the incident, despite his father’s insistence that he was innocent.
Police investigators ruled grudges as the motive of the incident.
Last week, the older Oquendo allegedly warned the couple against selling their wares near the bridge. Instead, they were advised to vend at the newly constructed village market.
The couple allegedly asked advice from police authorities and were told that it’s not illegal to sell on the roadside at the moment.
“We wanted to limit the people going inside the market that’s why we allowed some vendors to sell on the roadside. It’s for social distancing purposes,” Candelario said.
The perceived defiance of the Navarro couple to Oquendo’s request irked the village official and his son Restituto Jr, who was also the village’s chief tanod.
Before the incident, there were reports that the Oquendos, who were allegedly drunk, were having an argument.
Sultan went out of the house and drove his motorcycle. When he drove by the couple, he just shot them haphazardly.
“We don’t know if Kapitan Resty (Oquendo) and the suspect had an argument. What the witnesses told us was Sultan just shot the victims for no apparent reason or cause,” Candelario said.
Some witnesses claimed Sultan (Restituto Jr) even threatened persons who saw the incident.
Candelario said residents claimed Sultan went home after the crime.
Shortly later, Oquendo’s vehicle was seen leaving their place.
Police immediately set up a checkpoint.
When they flagged down the vehicle, Sultan was not inside.
Restituto Sr also denied knowledge about the shooting incident and claimed that several persons could attest that his son was at the public market when it happened.
As this developed, a massive manhunt operation is being conducted to arrest the suspect.
It was gathered that Oquendo had been accused of threats by the couple’s relatives in the past.
The complainants even sought the help of broadcaster Raffy Tulfo to intervene in the matter.
It was gathered that the suspect is related to Vice Mayor Fermin Nemesio Oquendo of Pontevedra, but they are also not in good terms.
Mayor Esteban Contreras has also assured the family that justice will be served.
REWARD
“Flight is a sign of guilt.”
This was the reaction of Colonel Julio Gustilo Jr., Capiz police director, to Sultan’s sudden disappearance, despite his father proclaiming his innocence.
As the manhunt operation goes on, Gustilo offered a cash reward of P50,000 for Sultan’s arrest.
It will balloon to P100,000 if he gets killed putting up a fight against authorities.
Gustilo said the monetary reward will come from his own pocket.
