Gattaran Mayor Matthew Nolasco /DILG Gattaran Facebook Page

By VILLAMOR VISAYA JR. Philippine Daily Inquirer Correspondent

TUGUEGARAO CITY––The mayor of Gattaran town in Cagayan province and six others have been indicted for the Dec. 5 murder of a trader, according to the local prosecutor’s office.

Witness testimonies linked Gattaran Mayor Matthew Nolasco to the killing of Jefferson Torricer, a 29-year-old trader from
Penarubia town in Abra province, who was shot multiple times at Barangay Magapit in Lal-lo town.

The Cagayan prosecutor charged Monday, Dec. 20, Nolasco; Joles Salvatierra, and Mateo De Torres also of Gattaran; Jofel Alipio of Buguey town and three “John Does.”

The mayor could not be reached for comment at press time. He had not issued any statement about the charges. At the crime scene, the police recovered a Brazil-made Forjas Taurus S. A. 9-mm pistol registered to a certain Rogelio Ligsay of Buguey and a Daewoo 9-mm pistol registered to a certain Wilfredo Abubo of Dupax del Sur town in Nueva Vizcaya.