Cagayan police director Senior Superintendent Ronaldo Olay said he has ordered the creation of a special task group to conduct swift investigation into the gruesome murder of Senior Police Officer 2 Ronel Saturno who was gunned down Saturday night by armed men inside his house cum resto-bar business in Lasam town.
Saturno was assigned at the Quirino Provincial Police Office and was also in schooling for his next promotion at the time of his death.
Olay said he was just waiting for the final assessment report if the chief of police of Lasam, Chief Inspector Ramil Alipio, would be relieved or not from his position.
The special task group that would be coming from the Provincial Police Office to investigate the murder of Saturno automatically excludes Alipio and his men from the investigation but they would be asked to “fully cooperate.”
Saturno, an outstanding cop awardee, was slain by five armed men who barged into his home in Barangay Centro 2 at around 7:25 p.m. shortly after his arrival from Lallo town to spend the weekend with his children. He sustained up to nine gunshot wounds in the head, neck, chest, and other parts of his body.
The Lasam police said the assailants were rebels, but relatives of the victims said otherwise.
“He has done no wrong to anyone. Our father is a good cop. We’re convinced his death was carefully planned and executed by hired killers sent by a mastermind,” one of the slain 45-year-old sons said.
Earlier, investigators said the “NPA angle” could be a diversionary tactic to conceal the identities of the assailants. They said they had leads that the motive was “politics” that involves an influential politician in Lasam.
Asked for reaction, Lasam Mayor Marjorie Salazar said she was saddened by death of Saturno.
“Of course I’m worried with this kind of incident happening in my town. That’s why I called the attention of my chief of police, Chief Inspector Alipio. I just arrived from Manila. Actually, we will be meeting now,” Salazar said in a phone interview.
