Grudge seen as reason for death of mayor’s man

Cebu Provincial Police Office director Carmelo Valmoria yesterday announced that there is already a development in the investigation into Thursday evening’s killing of a bodyguard of Ronda Mayor Esteban Sia.

However, Valmoria said that they cannot divulge yet the development of their inquiry into the killing of bodyguard Orlando Ogario as this might hamper the flow of their investigation.

He also said that they now focus their investigation on the angle of personal grudge, which is contrary to an earlier claim of Sia that Ogario’s killing might have been politically motivated.

Ogario and another bodyguard, Lito Berdijo, were on their way to a store to buy electronic load when two assailants onboard a motorcycle fired at them. Ogario was hit in the left chest and legs, while Berdijo was hit in his right leg and is now recuperating at the hospital.

Although Ronda is considered a peaceful town, a Special Reaction Unit team is being detailed in the area in response to the incident.

Further, Valmoria said that they will also look into the request of Sia to have some senior policemen assigned in Ronda replaced.

But any replacement would only materialize after the election period, which will end on November 13.

He added that although Sia has already given him the names of those senior policemen he would want replaced, he is yet to validate the mayor’s request as he also wants to listen to the side of the concerned policemen.

However, he said that Ronda Police Station chief, Insp. Juan Casipong, who is currently back to school for post-graduate studies, will definitely be replaced. It was also learned that Casipong has also requested to be relieved of his present post. — Flor Z. Perolina/MEEV