Friday, May 30, 2008 Task Force fails to find suspect in Leyte, but vows to crack the murder of lawyer Sison By Oscar C. Pineda & Jovy S. Taghoy Sun.Star Staff Reporters
A TASK FORCE in search of Richard W. Sison’s killer returned to Cebu City empty-handed after a manhunt, even as the lawyer was buried yesterday in Lapu-Lapu City.
Despite the failed Southern Leyte trip, the Task Force Sison said it remained determined to identify and arrest the man who ambushed and killed Sison, 52, last May 21 in Barangay Tinago, Cebu City.
“Ayaw pakatulga ang nipatay nimo (Don’t let your killer rest),” was the last thing Sison’s wife Blandina said before her husband’s grave was covered.
Three live chicks were placed inside the coffin before it was sealed.
Among the mourners were Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Arturo Radaza, who said that with Sison’s death, his “kontra sa kaso” (opposing litigants) are bound to be pleased.
Radaza, who cried during the mass, said in an interview that his detractors were probably out to undermine him (“Piangan ko”) by killing Sison. He did not elaborate.
Sison served as Radaza’s counsel in most of the major cases against the mayor, like the case over the alleged overpricing of street lamps bought for the 12th Asean Summit.
Days after the killing, Radaza asked the PNP to provide police security to City Legal Officer Joseph Lim, a request the PNP Regional Office (PRO) 7 director granted.
No police security was given to Sison’s family, although Lapu-Lapu City Police Director Louie Oppus, concerned about the family’s safety, has assigned regular visits and police visibility in the lawyer’s place.
Sison’s classmate, Fr. Rolando Manayon, officiated the requiem mass at the Virgen sa Regla Church at 10 a.m.
Because Sison was a major in the army reserve force, a military band led his funeral march, joined by some 10,000 people based who walked some two kilometers from the church to the Humay-Humay cemetery.
At the end of the march, a 21-gun salute was fired in Sison’s honor.
“I have no anger right now. My heart is callous. I urge everybody to pray for justice for my dad instead of crying,” Sison’s eldest daughter Charisse Guenevere told Sun.Star Cebu.
She said her father had no trouble with anyone, and that whenever he told her about his problems and threats, these were “all related to the cases.”
Charisse, her sister Kathleen May and brother Richard Dino were with their mother Blandina in thanking those who were with them in their last moments with their father yesterday.
Meanwhile, Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) Director Patrocinio Comendador said that Task Force Sison is pooling all its resources to deliver justice to the Sison family.
Comendador, who immediately created Task Force Sison headed by Supt. Pablo Labra II, said the police force is determined to solve the case.
He hopes that Sison’s family will continue to support the investigation, stressing that the city police force needs all the cooperation they can get from those who could help solve the killing. (OCP/JST)
