Saturday, August 07, 2004 Police eye grudge in victim 59's slay By Joy G. Romares
DAVAO -- Police are eyeing any of four angles as a possible motive in the killing Thursday of a father, the 59th to fall victim to a shadowy vigilante group operating in Davao City.
The victim, 35-year-old Edward Timtim, who was shot dead in Tancontian, Agdao, has no criminal record, police investigators said. Nor was he found to be involved in illegal drugs or gangs, the added.
Nevertheless, one of the angles police are looking into is involvement in illegal drugs, if only because most of those killed had at one time or another committed a similar offense.
On the other hand, the 58th victim did seem to have a brush with the law in the past, although not much could be remembered about it.
Zaldy Adegue, alias Nonoy, was shot dead Wednesday.
"Kana siya, murag naa nay record diri pero dugay na kaayo (That man has a police record, but the offense was committed a long time ago)," Sta. Ana Police Precinct investigator Melanio Dilan said.
The police are still searching for Adegue's record in their files.
In the case of Timtim, was police discovered was that he left his wife and children for another woman.
"Atong nahibaw-an nga kaning si Timtim, naay live-in partner diri sa Dalisay, Agdao. Ang iyang original na asawa, didto nakapuyo sa Km. 2, Budbud sa Bunawan ug kapin tulo na daw sila ka tuig bulag ni Timtim," SPO4 Dilan said. (We have learned that Timtim is living with another woman in Dalisay, Agdao. He and his wife separated more than three years ago. His wife now resides in Km. 2 Budbud in Bunawan.)
Aside from illegal drugs, police are eyeing the involvement of Timtim's wife or his live-in partner in his death. They are also determining if his death was somehow work-related.
Dilan said he already talked to Timtim's wife, with whom he had three children.
Teresita Libante, Timtim's wife, told Dilan her husband did not fail to provide for them even after their separation and when he began to live with the other woman.
She also claimed they continued to talk to each other especially over matters pertaining to their children.
"Gusto daw niya mobalik na iyang bana sa ilaha pero iyaha na lang ginaampo kay dili gyod daw mobalik. Ginatan-aw nato na anggulo ning pagka-involve ni Teresita sa iyang bana. Nag-ingon man gud siya nga gusto niya mobalik iyang bana sa iyaha. Basi sa kadugay na nga panahon na iyang ginapabalik, pwede nga naglagut na siya," Dilan said. (Teresita said she has long wished for her husband to return home, but this was only in her prayers since her husband didn't want to return to them. So this is why we are also looking at the possible involvement of Teresita in his death because maybe Teresita decided to take things in her hand.)
On the other hand, Timtim's live-in partner might have been angered by financial support given by the victim to his wife and children.
Or he could have offended someone at work, Dilan added.
"Kabalo man gud ka, sa klase sa iyang trabaho, kanang mga depot, posible nga naay mga anomalya diha sama sa kanang magdaya og karga sa tanker og gasolina, pwede ingnon nga 30 thousand liters ang nakarga unya 20 ra diay to," he said. (In the kind of work he was into, it is possible he stumbled upon some anomalies or been part of it, like declaring 30,000 liters of gasoline were loaded in a tanker when only 20,000 liters were actually loaded.)
Dilan, however, was more inclined to give weight to the personal grudge angle.
"Familiar ko sa apelyido nga Timtim kay 11 years ko nakapuyo sa Bunawan pero walay complaints ana ug walay pod ko kadungog nga involved sa illegal activities sama anang drugs," Dilan said. (I am familiar with the surname Timtim because I lived in Bunawan for 11 years, and I have not heard of his name getting dragged into any illegal activity like drugs.)
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