THE Misamis Oriental Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) is set to give a financial reward to those who could pinpoint and identify the killers of a tribal leader in Gingoog City.
Teddy Sabugaa Jr., executive director of PPOC, however said they have yet to come up with an amount for the reward.
"We will be having a meeting with Anak Minda-nao party-list Representative Ariel Hernandez of Gingoog regarding this matter. In fact, he had also agreed to this idea," Sabugaa told Sun.-Star Cagayan.
On December 24, 2009, 52-year-old Berting Pinaga-wa was shot to death by still unknown assailants at 6 a.m. in Barangay Kalipay, Gingoog City while on his way to the city proper together with his nephew. Fortunately, the child was not hurt after Pinagawa told him to run away.
Genara, Pinagawa's widow, wants justice for the death of his husband whom she described as an advocate against illegal logging in their area.
On Wednesday, a fact-finding mission was conducted by the PPOC in coordination with local officials of Gingoog City headed by Mayor Ruthie Gingona, Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), local police, the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) and the Commission on Human Rights (CHR).
Initial investigation of the fact-finding team showed that Pinagawa had received death threats prior to the killing.
"Mao ni nga anggulo ang wala na-establish kay basin nasakyan lang ang about sa illegal logging issue so dapat ma-establish gyud ang tinuod nga motibo," Sabugaa said, as he urged the local police in Gingoog to hasten their investigation and establish the real motive of the killing.