Policeman tagged as radioman’s killer
SUSPECT ARRESTED IN CAMP CRAME
By Fernan Marasigan
Reporter

A POLICEMAN who was reportedly the subject of criticism by slain radio commentator Fernando Batul in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan, has been tagged as one of his two alleged assailants.
       Senior Supt. Samuel Pagdilao Jr. confirmed the arrest of Police Officer 1 Aaron Golipardo, assigned to the 412th Regional Mobile Group in Palawan. He was escorted back to Puerto Princesa City by Supt. Jose Macanas, the chief of the Intelligence and Investigation Division of the Southern Tagalog B Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan) police command.
       Murder charges are being readied against him, the police said.
       Pagdilao said Golipardo was identified by four witnesses as one of the two gunmen who shot and killed Batul.
       The police said Golipardo has the strong motive to kill Batul because he has always been attacked by the radio commentator in his program on radio station DYPR.
       It was reported that Golipardo has been implicated in several murder cases in Puerto Princesa City, but police officials could not explain why he remains in the service.
       The policeman denied the accusations.
       Golipardo was ordered arrested by Chief Supt. Delfin Caballero Genio Jr., Mimaropa police commander, shortly after he was invited to Camp Crame, where they were to “discuss” the murder cases involving the suspect.
       Batul was aboard his vehicle and was on his way to work when ambushed by two motorcycle-riding men on Monday.
       Relatedly, Mayor Edward Hagedorn of Puerto Princesa City said that based on reports reaching his office, Batul started attacking Golipardo in his radio program when a bar girl reported to him that the policeman poked his gun on her.
       “We congratulate Task Force Batul headed by Senior Supt. Elpidio de Asis, Palawan police commander and composed of Supt. Carlos Salazar of the Puerto Princesa City police station, lawyer Onos Mangotara of the National Bureau of Investigation-Palawan, Senior Insp. Elmer Guevarra of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-Palawan and other law-enforcement agencies,” Hagedorn said.
       “We would also like to commend Chief Superintendent Genio for having personally ordered the tracking and arrest of the suspect in Quezon City. He has amply demonstrated that when the quest for justice is involved, nobody, not even a fellow policeman is above the law. And we thank him and the entire National Police for that,” Hagedorn added.