BAGUIO City Police Office city director Colonel Allen Rae Co said the murder of Imam Abdula Baylon Bedejim remains unsolved and will be turned over to the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG).
Co admitted the case has gone cold with zero persons of interest to push the investigation further, adding no witnesses have come forward to shed light on the case compounded by blurry closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage of the gunman.
The police chief inherited the case when he assumed office and has since asked to reconvene the task force formed to investigate but to no avail. Police procedure calls for a turnover to the CIDG when the case has no developments for six months.
The BCPO remains in the dark on the motive of the killing as well.
Previously, the BCPO under Senior Superintendent Eliseo Tanding formed the Special Investigation Task Group Bedejim to focus on solving the murder of the slain Imam who was shot midday on December 6 along Kayang and Shogum Street.
Imam Bedejim sustained several gunshot wounds in the different parts of his body and was pronounced dead on arrival when he was rushed to the hospital.
On the same day, a caliber .45 Remington 1911 believed to be owned by the gunman was recovered by responding personnel of Police Station 7 and SOCO at the Magnolia Alley of Maharlikha Livelihood Center accidentally hitting a sales lady when the gunman dropped the firearm before fleeing.
The sales lady was brought to the hospital for treatment.
The brutal killing of the Muslim leader drew condemnation from the community as Bedejim was well loved by all sectors.