MICHAEL MEDINA
Editor in chief
OZAMIZ CITY--The driver of former punong barangay Raymundo “Monding” Gesulga has confessed to the media of brutally killing his boss while in a heated altercation regarding the proceeds of a venture entrusted to him.
Cerilo Diagbil, resident of Sitio Tominanos, Brgy. Manaka, claimed in an earlier interview with reporters, Wednesday, last week, that he and his boss had a spat while riding Gesulga’s Sportivo the day before.
According to him, he and Gesulga went to Brgy. Gata, Clarin, June 11, and later decided to come home to the city proper late in the afternoon.
He added that upon reaching the crossing of Gallardo and Resano streets, two unidentified men flagged their car, rode with them and told Diagbil at gunpoint to proceed to a grassy place in Bañadero.
After reaching their destination, Diagbil said that one of the suspects shot Gesulga but the gun backfired. He added that the other suspect asked him if he wanted to die, upon which he walked out of the car and left Gesulga with the suspects.
Residents of Purok 5, Carangan were startled, morning of June 12, when they saw Gesulga’s Sportivo parked and abandoned at the side of the road, with blood marks on its door handles.
Responding police and scene of the crime operatives (SOCO), led by board member Roland Romero, saw Gesulga’s dead body slumped inside the car at the front passenger’s side.
Romero, in an interview with radio reporters, said that it was Diagbil who visited him in his house early that morning and told him of Gesulga’s whereabouts.
Data gathered from Ronda Balita, in reference to 1005th PMG’s initial investigation, stated Gesulga was knifed and bore contusions in his arms and possibly was bludgeoned to death with a hard object because of a head wound.
The victim’s cellphone, wallet and jewelries were gone.
In another interview with journalists, Diagbil owned up to bludgeoning Gesulga with the victim’s revolver.
The suspect added Gesulga was persistent, and kept on asking for the proceeds of the money the businessman gave to him for the charcoal business being entrusted to the driver.
A quarrel ensued, to which Gesulga ordered Diagbil to produce the title of his land in exchange for the money when he comes back for duty the next day.
Diagbil then said his vision went dim and did the unthinkable.
Gesulga’s family said they could not believe Diagbil could do such a thing to his employer given the confidence they gave him as a personal driver depite his short employment stint with them.
Mayor Reynaldo Parojinog Sr., in a huddle with reporters, said Gesulga’s death is a loss to him, having spent friendship with the punong barangay when he was then ABC head.
Gesulga served three terms as a village kagawad in Tinago before he served six years as punong barangay in 2002.
In last year’s barangay election, he opted not to run again, citing health reasons.
Monding, as he was fondly called, was a jack of all trades. He became filthy rich with his Limon Excavation, mini-sawmill and scrap-buying businesses.
Yet despite all this, Gesulga, who was survived by wife, Lily, and son, Freddie, remained humble.