Monday, September 01, 2008 2 media killing suspects nabbed
A POLICE task force looking into the killings of political activists and journalists has reported significant progress in its investigation of the murder of Radio Mindanao Network (RMN) provincial anchorman Martin Roxas in Capiz with the arrest of two suspects positively identified by witnesses.
In a report to Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno, Task Force Usig chief Jefferson Soriano said suspects Jonel Lastimoso and Christian Tan, who were arrested during hot pursuit operations carried out by Capiz policemen, are now jailed pending the filing of appropriate criminal charges against them.
Roxas was gunned down last August 7 at Bayot Drive in Roxas City while on his way home onboard his motorcycle. The two suspects were also then onboard a motorcycle.
The victim died while undergoing treatment at the Capiz Emmanuel Hospital due to a gunshot wound at the back.
“A hot pursuit operation was conducted and chokepoints were established leading to the arrest of the two suspects and the recovery of their getaway motorcycle in Barangay Poblacion, Ivisan, Capiz,” the report said.
The Capiz police led by its provincial director, Senior Superintendent Josephus Angan, have also formed Task Group Martin Roxas to conduct an “in-depth” investigation into the case.
Quoting the Usig report, Interior Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Brian Raymund Yamsuan said the task force has already conducted a series of case conferences with the city legal officer in Roxas City “to assist in the filing of an airtight case against the perpetrators” of the killing.
In a separate incident, Yamsuan said Task Force Usig had reported that an extensive follow-up investigation is now being conducted into the case involving the killing of another RMN anchorman, Dennis Cuesta, in General Santos City last August 4.
General Santos Mayor Pedro Acharon Jr. has offered a P50,000 reward to any person who could give information leading to the early resolution of the Cuesta murder, the task force noted.
Task Force Usig reported that it has already solved the case involving another slain provincial journalist — Robert Sison — in Quezon Province, and has already filed murder charges against the suspects in the killing.
Soriano, who also heads the Philippine National Police (PNP)-Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management (DIDM), said midway through 2008, the task has already filed a total of 87 cases against suspects in 142 verified incidents of unexplained killings, of which 49 are considered cold cases.
Of the 64 cases filed involving killings of political activists, 41 were filed in court, in which one was settled amicably, Soriano said.
A total of 15 cases are on trial, while 17 were archived and eight were dismissed, he said.
Soriano reported that 23 cases are pending before the prosecutor’s office, where nine are undergoing preliminary investigation, and 14 were provisionally dismissed.
In cases of media-related killings, he said 23 cases were already filed, of which 18 are on trial and two were resolved with the suspects’ conviction and three were dismissed.
Yamsuan said of the total number of 142 cases of unexplained killings verified by the task force, 114 involved killings of political activists and 28 cover work-related killings of journalists
He revealed that Soriano’s task force has already listed a total of 259 suspects in these 142 verified incidents, where 27 have already been arrested, 14 have surrendered and five convicted by the trial courts.
He said a total of 28 incidents of killings of political activists involved members of the Communist Party of the Philippines/New People’s Army (CPP/NPA), while 13 involved military and paramilitary elements as suspects — five of these cases involved civilians who are allegedly linked to the military and one is still under investigation. (Press release)
