Suspect in Cebu barangay chairman’s slay gunned down in Bohol

A man linked to the fatal ambush on a Cebu barangay captain in Bohol last May was gunned down in an encounter with police last Friday.

Police believe the slain suspect, Roland Bentillo, may be part of a gun-for-hire group, GMA Cebu's Chona Carreon reported Monday.



Killed as well in the encounter was one Fortunato Demil, Bentillo's companion.

Recovered from the scene was a cal-.45 pistol with ammunition.

Bentillo had been linked to the ambush-slay of Jovencio Lauron, barangay chairman of Barangay Agus in Lapu-Lapu City.

Lauron was gunned down by motorcycle-riding men in an ambush in Bohol, supposedly while on his way to attend a fiesta.

The GMA Cebu report said members of a police task group formed to solve Lauron's slay tried to serve a search warrant on Bentillo's house in Buenavista town in Bohol.

At the time, the police had received a tip that Bentillo kept several firearms in his house.

However, Bentillo allegedly fired at the police, who fired back and hit him.

"We know for a fact he is a member of a gun-for-hire group. We implement things with accordance with the what we have," said Central Visayas regional police head Chief Superintendent Prudencio Tom Bañas.

For now, Bañas ordered the task force to look for witnesses who can confirm if Bentillo was the one who shot the barangay chairman.

The police will also subject the recovered firearm to tests and compare them with those recovered from the scene of the barangay chairman's killing.

Meanwhile, police are still gathering leads on the motive for the killing of the barangay chairman. Possible theories involve politics and a grudge. — Joel Locsin/LBG, GMA News