The alleged gunman of Ilog Councilor Antonio “Karem” Gequillana Jr. was apprehended at about 3 p.m. yesterday in Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental, almost a week after the killing happened.

Ryan Gatouc, 24, of Brgy. 1, Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental was apprehended by Task Force Gequillana at his residence, City Police Director Senior Supt. Ricardo de la Paz, said.

De la Paz said that Gatouc’s picture was earlier presented to the witnesses and they positively identified him as the one who shot Gequillana from the back at about 10 a.m. on July 27 in front of the East View Hotel in Bacolod.

The Philippine Coast Guard yesterday spotted an oil slick coming from the area where MV Asia Malaysia sunk Sunday, about one nautical mile north of Salong Reef in Manapla, Negros Occidental, Commodore Athelo Ybañez, Western Visayas PCG commander, said.

An aerial survey showed that the oil slick coming from the sunken vessel was about 200 yards long and 30 to 50 yards wide and was moving northeast towards northern Iloilo, he said.

 Part of the  vessel, which sunk 50 to 60 feet down,  is visible during low tide, he added.

A former policeman tagged as the number five most wanted man in Western Visayas was arrested by the police at about 8:30 p.m. Monday at a residence along Guanzon Street in Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental, while attending a birthday party.

Arrested was former Senior Police Officer 3 Mario Villafuerte, 47, of Gardenville Subdivision, Brgy. Tangub, Bacolod, City Police Director, Senior Supt. Ricardo de la Paz, said yesterday.

Villafuerte was apprehended by the members of the Police Regional Intelligence Unit-6 and the Police Regional Special Operations Group-6 on the strength of arrest warrant issued by Regional Trial Court 43 Judge Philadelfa Pgapong Agraviador for 12 charges of rape and seven for acts of lasciviousness.