Slain wanted man was ex-congressman's escort

A POLITICIAN of Malita, Davao del Sur admitted that the man slain in a shootout with policemen who were serving a warrant of arrest was one of his personal escorts.

Former Davao del Sur Representative Claude Peralta Bautista confessed this to Senior Superintendent Ronald M. dela Rosa through phone when the Davao City Police Office director called him on Monday.

Dela Rosa told Sun.Star Davao that the slain suspect identified as Jun Cunanan, 51, alias Jun Sese, who also used the name Chuck Castro Reyes, resident of Malita, Davao del Sur, worked with Bautista.

"I called and asked him how come iyang sakyanan ang gamit sa mga suspect on Sunday? He admitted that it was really his vehicle kay gisugo niya si Sese na asikasuhon ang ilang problema sa farm," Dela Rosa said of Bautista.

Dela Rosa said that 14 fighting cocks worth P210,000 were lost after unidentified men broke into Bautista’s farm in Barangay Tacunan on Saturday evening and Sese was sent to investigate.

"Aminado siya na tao niya si Sese, but what he didn't know is the person has a warrant of arrest. Matud pa niya, ang nahibal-an niya kay kadto lang search warrant ni Sese sa Digos City. Wala daw siya kabalo sa lain mga binuhatan sa maong suspect (According to Bautista, he only knew of a search warrant served on Sese in Digos City. He claims he does not know anything about Sese’s activities)," Dela Rosa said.

Dela Rosa said Sese was arrested before for illegal possession of firearms and explosives in Digos City, where Bautista helped him to post bail before the City Prosecution Office.

When asked why the former congressman helped the suspect be freed on bail, dela Rosa said he doesn’t know.

"I didn't ask any further questions kay mao ra man na iya sulti na wala jud siya kabalo about sa mga binuhatan ni Sese and aminado siya na gitabangan niya ang suspect before para mag work sa iya (that was all he said, that he was unaware of Sese’s activities although he admits to having helped Sese)," dela Rosa said.

Dela Rosa added that he could not connect the crime committed by Sese to Bautista, since according to their informant, Sese was the one who contacted his cohorts in Davao city, to assist him for a mission.

"Kung buhi lang jud si Sese mapangutana unta nato siya kung gisugo ba siya ni Bautista. Unya kay namatay man siya, mao na ron dira, naputol man, hanging na. Basin pa gani si Sese ra nagbaligya sa iyang mga manok," Dela Rosa said.

Dela Rosa added that Talomo Police Station personnel are conducting trying to find out who stole the fighting cocks.

Meanwhile, Cheng Delos Reyes Jr., 54, Cunanan's driver who was arrested, was released on Monday afternoon, after the City Prosecution Office’s found there was no enough evidence that would prove the involvement of Reyes on the crime Sese is accused of.

The other suspect arrested identified as Reynaldo Watin Languido, 49, a Citizen Armed Forces Geographical Unit (Cafgu) member who hails from Sulop but lives in Malita in Davao del Sur, remains at Talomo Police Station and was charged for illegal possession of firearms.