Wednesday, August 02, 2006
2 cops sacked over radioman's slay
By Rex C. Otero and Nilo Cobrado
DAVAO CITY -- Two policemen were relieved of their posts following allegations that they tried to whitewash the investigation on the murder of broadcaster Armando "Racman" Pace.
Relieved and transferred to the Regional Support Group in Camp Catitipan were SPO3 Alberto Baritua and SPO4 Manuel Galleos, both intelligence officers of the Digos City Police Office.
The relief order from the Police Regional Office (PRO)-Southern Mindanao was released July 31.
Pace was killed by a motorcycle-riding gunman last July 18, just minutes after he ended his radio program at radio station dxDS in Digos.
A follow-up investigation led to Jesus Saraum, whose motorcycle bears the license plate of the one ridden by the killer, being invited to the police office for questioning.
Saraum was released, as no one would testify against him.
A few days later, the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) arrested Joy Anticamara alias Tungol at his house in Barangay Guihing in Hagonoy, Davao del Sur.
Anticamara was suspected of being the one who shot Pace. He was then turned over to the Digos police.
Galleos and Baritua were allegedly the ones who found a witness against Anticamara, a young boy who claimed it was this person who shot Pace.
The police in the region, however, suspected a whitewash after it was learned that Anticamara was an "asset" civilian informer of the relieved policemen.
Digos police chief Ceasar Cabuhat said Anticamara was not their asset but CIDG's.
Digos City Mayor Arsenio Latasa said Cabuhat might even be replaced as well.
"Akong hangyo nga dili ako butangan og COP (chief of police) nga bulala, mas palabihon pa nako nga SPO1 ang ako mahimong COP sa Digos kaysa bulala nga opisyal isip COP (I am asking that I not be given an inept chief of police. I would prefer to have an SPO1 as chief of police than one who is inept)," Latasa said. (Sun.Star Davao/Sunnex)
(August 2, 2006 issue)
Write letter to the editor. Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board. Click here. |
P90 million deal for Asean 'smells'