AUTHORITIES have identified the men suspected of gunning down Fausto Orasan, a tribal chieftain in Cagayan de Oro who was a staunch illegal mining and logging activist here.
Lumbia police chief Senior Inspector Allan Curato confirmed to Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro Tuesday afternoon by phone that they already tagged two personalities as Orasan's suspected triggermen.
Police said the suspects are residents in the hinterland areas of the city who they think are opposed to the proposed eco-tourism project in their area that Orasan had been earnestly promoting.
However, Curato did not reveal the identification of the suspects since his office still need to gather proof for their arrest.
"We are also looking at other possible angles of the killing but as for now, our focus is on the mining and logging perspectives," Curato told Sun.Star.
The 64-year-old Orasan, who is known as Datu Sandigan, was waylaid in Sitio Cabalang, Barangay Tuburan around 3:30 p.m. Saturday.
According to Orasan’s son Jimmy, Datu Sandigan died from multiple gunshot wounds, mostly from a shotgun rifle, on his back.
The autopsy on Orasan’s remains revealed that two of his vital organs (heart and liver) were damaged by the gunshots, which may have caused his instantaneous death.
Jimmy said they were already aware of the threat on his father’s life before he died.
Prior to his death, there was already an attempt on Orasan’s life in 2013 by one of his relatives.
His attacker alleged that Orasan complained to authorities that the suspect was one of those involved in illegal mining activities in the city’s upland areas.