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Saturday, April 08, 2006
2 hired guns link 3 cops in 2 slays
By Barbara Carla R. Quiero
DAVAO CITY -- Two self-confessed hired gunmen pointed Friday to three policemen as the ones who ordered them to kill a Chinese-Filipino businessman and a Chinese-Filipino landowner in Kidapawan.
Investigation by police led them to another Filipino-Chinese businessman as the suspected mastermind.
The gunmen--Rolando A. Gabias, 18 and Reynaldo A. Camus, 22--named Senior Police Officers 2 Reynaldo Mamburam and Ignacio Rinsulat and Police Officer 3 Edwin Pacaña, all members of the Kidapawan City Police, as the ones who allegedly hired them.
The two gunmen in their sworn statement alleged that the three policemen contacted and talked them into killing Jose Morales, a landowner in Kidapawan City, and Roger Ong, a Filipino-Chinese businessman who operates a hardware in Kidapawan, in separate occasions at P150,000 per person.
North Cotabato Emmanuel Piñol said the gunmen and other witnesses identified Robert Enrile Ong as the suspected mastermind behind the two killings.
Kristin Ong, daughter of victim Roger Ong, said her father and the suspected mastermind are both in the hardware business and used to be friends.
"Katong ni guwapo na among business, nibalhin ila suki sa amo, dili na siya managad (When our hardware business prospered, his regular customers transferred to us and he would no longer talk to us)," Kristine said.
The victim Roger is not related to suspected mastermind Robert.
Piñol said from what the police have gathered so far, Morales's death was due to a land conflict. He added that the rivalry between two groups of hardware owners in Kidapawan City is hardly a secret. The victim Roger belongs to one group, and the suspect Robert belongs to the rival group.
Kidapawan City Mayor Rodolfo Tantuanco and Kidapawan Police Chief Danny Reyes started an investigation into the killing and found that two to three policemen may have been involved in the killing.
"This was the reason why the family of the victim decided to seek the help of the Department of Justice," Piñol said during the press conference.
The justice department, he said, in turn directed the police regional intelligence unit to conduct the investigation.
"So dalawang Filipino-Chinese pinatay nila. (They killed two Filipino-Chinese.) Both have signed extra judicial confessions stating to the fact that they were involved in the killing of Jose Morales, last year, and last March 9, Roger Ong, and they pointed to three policemen who are members of the Kidapawan City Police as the people who contacted them and who engaged their services in the killing of the two businessmen," Piñol said.
As of the moment, Robert Ong is still at large while a twin murder case is being filed at the justice office against him, Piñol said.
"I have requested the Bureau of Immigration to put him in the watch list kasi baka lumabas ng bansa (because he might leave the country). Based on the testimonies we have received, it is sufficient to pin down the mastermind," he added.
The three policemen, meanwhile, are being restricted to camp. The two are in the Kidapawan police office while the other is detailed at the Saranggani police office.
"We presented this to the public because we would like this to serve as a warning to all policemen, all men in uniform, that no one is above the law. I am really saddened by the fact that three of our policemen are involved," he added. (Sun.Star Davao/Sunnex)
(April 8, 2006 issue)
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