Operatives are now tracking down Pilar, Abra Sangguniang Bayan member George dela Rosa Sotelo after a local court ordered for his arrest when ballistics examination of the M16 rifle used in the killing of a lady physician mid September last year was traced to him.

A month after Dr. Amor Trina Dait, 53, from Poblacion Pilar but was then stationed at the La Paz District Hospital also in Abra, was killed on September 18, 2021 by a gunman with an M16 rifle, war materiel including assault rifles and high-powered pistols and ammunitions were seized from SBM Sotelo’s house, his cousin who is a municipal employee and another cousin during simultaneous raids by the police.

An Elisco-made caliber M16A1 baby armalite rifle with serial number 113054; four long and three magazines for the rifle; one hundred thirty-four rounds for the rifle; a caliber 45, M1911 pistol marked US ARMY with serial number 11001; three magazine assemblies for caliber 45 pistol; twenty bullets for caliber caliber 45; a Llama-made caliber 9MM pistol with serial number 940296; a magazine assembly for caliber 9MM; five bullets for 9mm pistol; two long magazines for US carbine rifle; two short magazines for carbine rifle; and thirteen bullets for the rifle were seized from the house of SB member Sotelo at barangay Narnara.

Another hydra caliber 5.56mm rifle (M16) with serial 3406162; another defaced caliber 5.56mm assault rifle; two long magazine assemblies for caliber 5.56mm rifle; another short magazine assembly for caliber 5.56mm; and seventy-one bullets for the same rifle were seized from the house of Pilar municipal employee Ferdinand Sape dela Rosa, a cousin of SBM Sotelo.

Another caliber 45 Colt pistol 45 with magazine without serial number was seized from the house of SBM Sotelo’s cousin — Paterno Castilla Sotelo.

Baguio City Regional Trial Court branch 5 Judge Maria Ligaya Itliong-Rivera ordered the raids on the houses of the cousins located adjacent to each other.

Investigators ealier recovered five spent shells of an M16 rifle near where Dr. Dait was shot at and was matched with the M16 rifle seized from SBM Sotelo, prompting the court to order for his capture.

Sotelo was however not around and has went into hiding when policemen tried to serve his warrant of arrest Friday last week.

While, Cordillera policemen are also hunting down a suspect in a shooting incident at Brgy. Pang-ot, also in Pilar, early Monday morning.

Charmel Castro, 25, and Mario Ambrosio, 60, were reportedly playing a card game at a wake when the suspect appeared and without apparent reason shot victim Ambrosio while victim Castro was hit by a stray bullet.

The victims were rushed to the Narvacan District Hospital in Ilocos Sur, but Ambrosio was declared dead on arrival.