Sr. Supt. Lester Camba, provincial police director in Cotabato, identified the suspect as Ismael Angguto, former councilor of Barangay Buluan in Kabacan who was collared in a forested area in Barangay Pedtad, also in Kabacan.
During the investigation, however, Angguto denied his involvement in the killing and instead named six persons behind the ambush of Barangay Buluan chair Puto Mantawil and his son Gabby.
But Camba says Angguto has a fresh gunshot wound on his leg, adding, “this is proof that he was, indeed, among those that staged the ambush against the Mantawils.”
Reports reaching Camba noted that before Mantawil expired, he was able to fire his M16 rifle and hit Angguto and some of his men.
Most of the persons Angguto implicated in the ambush-slay were relatives of Sapilon, Mantawil’s political rival in Barangay Buluan, reports said.
Angguto is a relative of Sapilon who ran but lost to Mantawil in the latest barangay elections.
The intense political rivalry between the families of Mantawil and Sapilon started five years ago when Mantawil ran as chair of Barangay Buluan in 2002 barangay elections but lost to Sapilon.
On Dec 29, while Mantawil was on board a motorcycle driven by his son Gabby, six armed men ambushed them in a secluded area in the boundary of Barangay Pedtad, Kabacan and Barangay Inug-og in Pikit, North Cotabato. (MindaNews)
