Tuesday, February 27, 2007 Witness in editor's slay disappears
AN EYEWITNESS in the slaying of a newspaper editor in Sultan Kudarat, Shariff Kabunsuan Province is reportedly nowhere to be found.
Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Armm) Provincial Police Director Joel Goltiao said the eyewitness to the slay of Hernani Pastolero, publisher of Mindanao Newscast and editor-in-chief of Cotabato Lightning Courier, could no longer be found in their residence. He disappeared together with his family.
According to Goltiao, the witness saw the gunman who shot Pastolero while the journalist was drinking coffee after doing a round of exercise inside his residence in Barangay Bulalo in Sultan Kudarat on February 19.
However, Goltiao has not revealed the identity of the eyewitness to protect his security and the police are presently trying to locate him.
Authorities are looking at two angles on the disappearance of the eyewitness.
First is that the suspects behind Pastolero's slay abducted him so he could not reveal their identities while another angle being looked into is that he and his family fled fearing for their lives.
Goltiao admitted that with the disappearance of the witness, they could not proceed with their investigation.
However, he is hopeful that they will soon arrest the suspect after Task Force Pastolero finishes his cartographic sketch.
Sultan Kudarat Municipal Mayor Datu Tucao Mastura vowed that he will personally punish the suspects behind Pastolero's slay, who was also a close family friend. (Garry Fuerzas)
