Two gunmen, getaway car owner indicted by DOJ in Espino ambush

February 4, 2020

BAGUIO CITY  -- – Government prosecutors have recommended the filing of information for murder, attempted murder, frustrated murder against two gunmen, an accessory and four other “John Does” in the ambush of former Pangasinan Governor Amado Espino Jr. that left him wounded and his police escort and driver dead September last year.


In the Department of Justice panel resolution dated Jan. 3 but made available Tuesday, it recommended the filing of two information for the crime of murder for the deaths of  Agapito Cuison, driver, and Police Staff Sergeant Richard Esguerra, bodyguard of Espino, against Albert Palisoc and  Benjie Resultan; John Paul Regalado as accessory and four John Does.


Government prosecutors recommended filing three informations for the crime of attempted murder filed by Espino Jr., Police Staff Sergeant Jayson Malsi and Anthony Columbino against the same respondents.


Another information was recommended for filing for the crime of frustrated murder earlier filed by Kerwin Marpuri against the same respondents and one information for violation of Section 1 (i) of P.D. 1829 entitled Penalizing Obstruction of Apprehension and Prosecution of Criminal Offenders against Pediraldo Ras Lucenera.

The complaint against Jewel Castro, a 25-year-old businessman from Baguio,  was dismissed for lack of probable cause after the prosecutors found that he “could not be implicated either as principal, accomplice or even an accessory.” 


On September 11, 2019, Espino, with his driver Cuison and Malsi were on board a Toyota Land Cruiser traveling along San Carlos City-Basista Road when several men shot at them.


On board Espino’s back-up car, a Toyota Innova, also riddled with bullets, were Columbino as driver, Esguerra and Mapuri, a private nurse.


Esguerra and Cuison died while Espino was rushed to a nearby hospital.


Out of the 12 named respondents, only nine filed their counter-affidavits-- Palisoc, Resultan, Joey Ferrer, Alfred Pascaran, Ronnie Delos Santos, Gerry Pascua, Sherwin Diaz, Teofilo Ferrer and Castro.


All the respondents denied the accusations and were in unison “in arguing that as contained in the SOCO ( Scene of the Crime Operative) report, the crime was contaminated, hence, any evidence derived therefrom is unreliable”. DMS