New suspect arrested for slay of Davao radioman

For the second time this week, police agents arrested a new suspect in the slay of radio broadcaster Armando "Racman" Pace of radio station DXDS Radyo Ukay in Digos City, Davao del Sur. Operatives of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) collared Joy Anticamara, the purported gunman, at 5 p.m. Thursday at the Junsay Subdivision in Digos City. Anticamara was presented Friday before the Provincial Prosecutor's Office for inquest proceedings. A 16-year-old girl positively identified Anticamara from a police lineup as the gunman. She was supposedly five to 10 meters away from the crime scene when the broadcaster was gunned down by two motorcycle-riding men at about 1 p.m. Tuesday at the vicinity of Rizal Avenue in the city. Pace, 51, was on his way home at the time of ambush. While announcing the arrest, however, authorities said the Digos City police already released a suspect they arrested last Wednesday. Despite the development, police forensic examiners reported that blood found at the motorcycle of the previous suspect matched Pace's type. Police officials promised the Pace family of a "successful prosecution" of the masterminds of last Tuesday's murder. Deputy Director Gen. Avelino Razon Jr, chief of Task Force Usig, earlier directed Chief Supt. Pedro Tango of Task Force Newsmen to coordinate "all investigative efforts" in Digos City. Tango's team was instructed to extend "technical, forensic and legal assistance to local PNP units." The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) reported that Pace was the 82nd journalist slain since former dictator Ferdinand Marcos was ousted in 1986. Pace was the ninth mediaman slain this year, the NUJP said.-GMANews.TV