THE alleged mastermind of the ambush-slay of Dr. Raul Winston Andutan Jr., medical director of the Jesuit-owned Maria Reyna Hospital here, surrendered to the police a week after he reportedly went into hiding.
PNP-10 spokesperson Lt. Col. Michelle Olaivar said the suspect identified as Balingoan councilor Richard Gepte, surrendered to Brig. Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr., police director of Northern Mindanao and Col. Aaron Mandia, Cagayan de Oro police director in the Carmelite Monastery in Barangay Camaman-an, this city last Sunday.
Olaivar said Gepte, who is running for vice mayor in Balingoan town was accompanied by his lawyer, Atty. Silvan Sabio.
“Gepte may have felt he was unsafe because all his hiding places were raided by our police hunter teams,” Olaivar said.
Olaivar said Gepte, being a prominent politician is known and the police have been receiving a steady stream of information on where he was hiding.
She said last Sunday, his lawyer arranged the surrender and told Acorda they would be coming from Malaybalay City.
At the Carmelite Monastery, Acorda, Mandia, and other policemen waited for them to arrive at 1 pm Sunday.
Gepte was presented to Judge Gil Bollozos of the Regional Trial Court Branch in Upper Carmen town Monday morning.
Bollozos recommended no bail for him and his co-accused Reynaldo Tortosa, an ex-Cafgu, who allegedly hired the team of assassins who killed Andutan last Dec. 2.
The suspected triggerman, Joel Nacua, and lookouts Marjun Cabog and Jomar Adlaw-all from neighboring Bukidnon province were arrested less than 24 hours after they ambushed and killed Andutan at the junction of 12th and 29th Streets in Barangay Nazareth here.
Andutan, 62, was driving his silver Toyota Fortuner was heading to Maria Reyna Hospital when he was allegedly shot by Nacua who rode at the back of a motorcycle driven by Cabog. Police said Adlaw served as a lookout.
Major Evan Viñas, the spokesman of the Cagayan de Oro City Police Office, said Gepte was identified by three suspected gunmen who were arrested the day after Dr. Andutan was ambushed.
Viñas said the hitmen were contracted for P150,000 to kill the doctor due to a land dispute in Balingoan town.
The Andutans own a beach resort in the town “and there was a dispute over some right-of-way issues,” Viñas said.
