Razon orders Abra PNP to file murder raps vs killers of councilor

MANILA, Philippines - Philippine National Police (PNP) Director General Avelino Razon Jr. has ordered the reinvestigation of the killing of Tineg, Abra councilor Pedro Enon Sr. last May 19 and instructed provincial director Supt. Alexander Pumecha to file murder charges against the killers and the mastermind. Razon told Pumecha to undertake a thorough probe of the case after meeting with Tineg Mayor Edwin Crisologo Sr. last June 16 in Camp Crame. The PNP chief was surprised to learn that Crisologo himself was implicated in the crime, along with Jomie Cabrera, who was tagged by police as the killer. Cabrera is the principal witness to the shooting of Brenda Crisologo, the mayor’s wife, on May 17, 2007. She died at St. Luke’s Medical Center in Quezon City several weeks later. Mayor Crisologo is a key political ally and nephew of Enon. Enon’s widow, Elesita, has rejected allegations that Crisologo was involved in the killing and demanded a thorough inquiry into the shooting, which happened inside his residence in Bangued. The widow has vouched for the innocence of both Crisologo and Cabrera and told Chief Supt. Eugene Martin, the PNP director for the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), that the two had nothing to do with the shooting. During the same meeting, Razon also ordered Pumecha to file murder charges against Antolin Udao, Jaworsky Ayaba, Magno Blanco, Rogenio Dican, Agapito Cammagay and Ricky Latawan, all of whom were identified by two witnesses as the ones who massacred three fishermen in Sitio Tapayen, Barangay Alaoa, Tineg last February 1, 2008. Crisologo also requested Razon to file charges against those who ambushed Tineg Councilor Rey Tandi and others on April 4, 2008. The mayor said he has been implicated in the ambush through news reports. He vehemently denied the charge, and asked that a new inquiry be conducted to clear his name. The PNP chief was surprised to know that members of the dreaded Tineg Death Squad (TDS) continue to roam the town while brandishing automatic assault rifles and wearing police uniforms. Razon vowed to issue an order compelling the Abra PNP to launch a campaign against loose firearms in Tineg and arrest all civilians with unauthorized firearms. In the same meeting, the PNP director general said 21 policemen would be assigned to Tineg as soon as possible and added that they should be housed in a police station in Caganayan, Tineg. He told Crisologo that P2.5 million has already been released for the construction of the police station and added that the Tineg municipal government need not spend a single centavo to build it. Razon said the money had been allotted for the project during the incumbency of retired Director General Arturo Lomibao. Crisologo also asked Razon to assign some personnel from the Special Action Force (SAF) of the PNP to act as his security men due to numerous threats to his life. Martin has refused to assign security men to Crisologo, justifying the action by saying that there is no threat to the mayor’s life at all. - GMANews.TV