THE Commission on Human Rights (CHR)-Cordillera is set to conduct a parallel investigation into the killing of Muslim Cleric Imam Bedejim Abdullah on the morning of December 6 in front of Kayang Business Center.
CHR-CAR regional director lawyer Romel Daguimol who led the 70th year observance of International Human Rights Day in Baguio City said the agency will still have to determine and prove whether this was perpetrated by some government authorities.
“But as part of the default for the CHR considering that he is religious, and if we target religious, this indicates an alarm and what would happen is the CHR will conduct a motopropio investigation regarding this matter in order to ferret what happened,” Daguimol explained.
Days after the killing of the Imam, the Baguio City Police Office(BCPO) activated Special Investigation Task Group Bedejim which will focus on the immediate resolution of the shooting.
“Aside from conducting a motopropio investigation, the CHR will also put pressure on the police to do their part to investigate and come up with a lead on who perpetrated the killing because it is very alarming that the person who died is a religious person, an Imam of the Muslim church,” Daguimol said.
CHR-CAR received a directive to come up with a fact finding investigation aside from hopefully receiving documents coming from regarding its investigation into the killing.
BCPO acting director Senior Superintendent Eliseo Tanding in an earlier press briefing explained BCPO is now in the process of establishing angles which will help in developing the possible motive for the killing of the Imam.
“After establishing the motive, this will be followed by the identification of possible suspect/s based on CCTV footages and photos recovered. Officially based on our investigation no suspect/s have been apprehended,” Tanding said. (Jonathan Llanes)