Monday, December 31, 2007 NTC still doesn't have tapes of Batman programs
THE National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) still has to hand over to the police tapes of the programs of slain broadcaster Fernando "Batman" Lintuan.
Police intend to listen to the tapes since these may point them to possible motives of the December 24 ambush.
In an interview Saturday with Task Force Batman chief, Senior Superintendent Benhur Mongao, he said the NTC has not yet acted on the police's request to borrow the tapes of Lintuan's radio program.
NTC 11 Regional Director Josue de Villa-Go said in a text message Sunday that he has already forwarded the request to the concerned radio station, dxGO. "I have already sent it last week," de Villa-Go's text message said.
Part of the investigation is focused on the possibility of a work-related grudge which may be the motive behind Lintuan's slay. However, the investigating team cannot yet move forward as what it is hearing are hearsays.
"What we all have right now is hearsays," Mongao said of the many speculations that arose from the incident.
The Police Regional Office-Southern Mindanao has submitted its letter last December 26, when government offices resumed operations after the long Christmas weekend.
Upon follow up last Saturday, PRO-Southern Mindanao Director Andres Caro II said their request has not yet been acted upon.
Mongao added the tapes would be a crucial part of their investigation as these are the only solid proof of the hard-hitting commentaries Lintuan made on his radio program. "We can establish from there who could have had a motive to kill him," Mongao said.
Rumor mill
Rumors continue to proliferate as to the motive behind the cold-blooded murder of Lintuan just hours before the celebration of Christmas.
There are reports that Lintuan may have been murdered for his hard-hitting criticisms of politicians in and around the neighboring provinces of Davao City.
Of late, he has been hitting hard on the alleged corruption scam involving the city's P72 million People's Park.
Some reports point out that Lintuan has also criticized the revolutionary movement and the illegal logging operations in Compostela Valley and Davao Oriental.
The Bureau of Internal Revenue, as well as the Bureau of Customs, has not been spared from Lintuan's hard-hitting commentaries on alleged irregularities.
"But all these are hearsays until we get the tapes," was all Mongao replied when asked to comment on the issues.
Eliminated
Moreover, Mongao said the angle of Lintuan's altercation with a taxi driver has already been eliminated. Mongao said the taxi driver readily cooperated with the police's probe. "He (the driver) proved that they have settled their quarrel," Mongao said.
The driver reportedly produced a copy of the letter of Lintuan saying he has forgiven the driver for a previous squabble.
It was previously reported that the police were also looking into the angle of a personal grudge after their investigation revealed that Lintuan had a previous altercation with a taxi driver who refused to take him from the Davao International Airport.
Lintuan, according to the investigation, filed a complaint against the taxi driver before the Land Transportation Office. The taxi driver was said to have gone to the radio station of Lintuan to plead for mercy, as the complaint would have resulted in the revocation of his license. (CPM)
