CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – The man alleged to be behind to death of Dr. Raul Winston Andutan last year has surrendered himself to no less than police regional director Brig. Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr. last Sunday.
The city police said Richard Gepte, 51 years old, married, and residing at Balingoan, Misamis Oriental, was in hiding at the Carmelite Monastery in Barangay Camaman-an here before giving up to the law enforcers.
Gepte, a municipal councilor at Balingoan, is a vice mayoralty candidate of said town.
During the surrender, Gepte was served with the warrant of arrest issued by Judge Gil Bollozos of RTC Branch 21.
The murder case against Gepte is docketed as case no. RCDO-2104166-CR with no bail bond recommended.
Acorda said he went to the monastery to receive Gepte as he surrendered to the police.
It can be recalled that Dr. Andutan was ambushed while driving his vehicle on a road in Barangay Nazareth by riding in tandem gunmen on Dec. 2, 2021.
Andutan was the medical director of the Maria Reyna Xavier University Hospital at the time of his death.
The suspects, Marjun Cabug, Joel Nacua, and Jomar Adlao, all from Bukidnon, were arrested hours after the shooting.
The fourth person, Rene Turtosa, said to be the handler who planned the ambush, is still at large.
Gepte, police said, is temporarily detained at the Old Maharlika detention cell subject for turned over to the issuing court.
In a statement, Acorda said that with the help of Atty. Silvan Sabio, Gepte’s lawyer, they were able to convince the suspect to surrender.
Gepte’s surrender can be credited to the strong police-community partnership, Acorda said.
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CAPTION:
Murder suspect Richard Gepte. (Cagayan de Oro City Police Office)
