One of the killers in 2016 triple-murder case in Isabela nabbed; Ex-brgy. Captain implicated as mastermind

Ilagan City, Isabela - After eight years of evading arrest, one of the suspected killers in the brutal triple murder in Isabela was finally captured by authorities this June 2025.

The capture happened after the alleged mastermind—a former barangay captain—was earlier jailed for the same crime. 

The man, whose identity is withheld by the police, was apprehended in Barangay Ignacio by the operatives of the Ilagan City Police Station, in coordination with the 1st Isabela Provincial Mobile Force Company (IPMFC) and the Regional Intelligence Unit 2 (RIU2). 

The operation was conducted through the warrant of arrest issued on January 23, 2017.

Based on the Police report obtained by the XFM- Santiago, it was revealed that the suspect was involved in the brutal shooting incident on June 15, 2016, in Barangay Balelleng, Santo Tomas, Isabela. 

According to police, the suspect, along with two others, ambushed and gunned down three individuals riding a motorcycle while crossing the Culalabo Bridge. 

Eyewitness accounts stated that the perpetrators used long firearms. All the victims were dead on the spot due to multiple gunshot wounds. 

The identities of the gunmen, including the 66-year-old arrested, were established through witness testimonies and follow-up investigations. The 66-year-old man is now under the custody of PNP Ilagan and will be turned over to the appropriate court authorities in the coming days. 

Adding a controversial twist to the case, authorities disclosed that a then-sitting barangay captain was implicated in the crime. 

Investigators reportedly observed the barangay official transporting and unloading a sack containing unknown contents at a grassy roadside area, which was later discovered to be the hiding place of the gunmen before the fatal attack. 

The former Brgy. Captain was arrested first and was charged accordingly.