Bulacan gov hiding my brother's killer, Pagdanganan says

MANILA, Philippines - Former Bulacan governor Roberto Pagdanganan on Friday accused Bulacan Governor Joselito ‘Jonjon’ Mendoza of coddling the alleged killer of his brother, radio dzBB reported. Mendoza promptly denied the allegation of his political rival. The radio report quoted Pagdanganan as saying that Mendoza helped in hiding a certain Leo Paigdoso, whom the former pointed to as one of the suspects in the killing of former Calumpit mayor Ramon Pagdanganan. The elder Pagdanganan, a former Agrarian Reform secretary, also said a court had ordered the arrest of Paigdoso for the alleged killing of a doctor in Calumpit town but police failed to apprehend the suspect allegedly because of Mendoza’s supposed influence. The radio report also quoted Pagdanganan as saying that when Paigdoso run for village chief in Dona Remedios Trinidad town, he boasted that he was an ally of Mendoza. In an separate interview with radio dzBB, Mendoza denied the allegations, maintaining that he does not know the person mentioned by Pagdanganan. "Ang tutuo hindi ko man lang kilala yung sinasabi niyang tao. Hindi ko nalaman na tumakbong kapitan yung taong sinasabi niya so nagulat ako (I don’t know the person. I was not even aware that the person ran for the post village chairman (in the past). I was surprised.)," Mendoza said. The Bulacan governor said he is just doing his job. He also asked Pagdangangan why he thought Mendoza would protect Paigdoso. "So ako, tuwiran kong dinedeny na kilala ko yung taong sinasabi niya ( I deny that I know the person he (Pagdanganan) was mentioning)," Mendoza said. On May 4, two armed men shot and killed Ramon Pagdanganan who was attending a town fiesta in Calumpit. - Amita Legaspi, GMANews.TV