Carcar councilor accused of killing younger brother

Police are hunting an incumbent councilor in Carcar City, southern Cebu who was tagged as the suspect in the killing of his brother on Tuesday evening.

Police said Archilles “Arki” Gantuangco, who is seeking reelection under the Liberal Party, allegedly shot his 45-year-old brother Arvin Quijano Gantuangco inside the victim’s house in Sitio Tangasan, Barangay Valladolid at around 6:30 p.m.

A follow-up operation to arrest the suspect was made but he was not around when police went to his house.

Police have yet to establish the motive of the crime but it could be that it had something to do with the victim’s alleged involvement in illegal drug activities.

“Basin nasuko ning maguwang kay sigeg badlong sa manghod nga undangon na iyang bisyo (Maybe the older brother was upset because he has been reprimanding his brother to stop with his vices),” said PO1 Francisco Saberon, investigator of the Carcar Police Station.

Arvin was in the list of suspected drug pushers operating in the city, police said Saberon said a male witness had already executed an affidavit, stating that the councilor was the one who barged inside the house of Arvin on Tuesday evening.

The witness who was in the victim’s house to ask for payment for an undetermined service, said the councilor was so mad when he arrived at the house and uttered: “Sige lang mo dinhi ha.”

The councilor who was seen bringing a gun, fired a warning shot and then entered the house and poked a gun at his brother.

Saberon said the witness went outside the house, leaving the councilor and his brother inside.

The witness then heard another gunshot. The councilor later left aboard his service vehicle.

The witness asked Arvin’s 10-year-old son to check inside the house. The witness claimed they saw Arvin lying unconscious with blood oozing from his head.

Arvin was brought to the Carcar City District Hospital. He was transferred to the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in Cebu City but died along the way.

Saberon said commotion took place because some of the things in the kitchen were in disarray.

Saberon said they will be filing murder charges against the councilor.

Mayor Nicepuro Apura, a neighbor of the victim, said he also learned from his neighbors after the incident that it was Councilor Arki who killed his brother.

Apura said he ordered the police to solve the incident as soon as possible.

Arki, who is in his first term as councilor, is running for reelection under LP headed by provincial board member Raul Alcoseba.

Alcoseba is running for mayor in the city.

In an interview, Alcoseba said he did not know that Arki was tagged as suspect in the killing.

Asked if this could affect their slate in Carcar City, he said: “Dili na makaapekto kay personal man na nila kon tinuod man na (It won’t affect the party since, if indeed it’s true, what happened was something personal between them).”