CEBU - A member of the Tau Gamma Phi fraternity believed to be the triggerman in the murder of Cebu City Assistant Prosecutor Patrick Osorio was reportedly arrested by the police last Saturday in barangay Mambaling.
The suspect, Ritcham Alda, is now detained after he was being picked up by members of the Cebu City Police Office Saturday afternoon in sitio Bulingit.
The police, according to a neighbor of Alda who requested anonymity, recovered a motorcycle believed to have been used as getaway vehicle when Osorio was ambushed along Maria Gochan Street, barangay Mambaling on January 6.
According to the witness, Alda changed the color of his motorcycle from red to black.
The police, however, denied having arrested or picked up a suspect relative to Osorio’s murder.
CCPO director Chief Superintendent Patrocenio Comendador told reporters yesterday that they are still exerting efforts to locate the getaway motorcycle.
But some reporters who visited the CCPO yesterday saw the newly painted black motorcycle believed to be the one recovered from Alda.
Amidst the police denial, a trisikad driver who witnessed Osorio’s shooting yesterday went to radio station dyHP to seek for advice from station manager Ruphil Bañoc because he was allegedly forced to sign an affidavit pointing Alda as the gunman.
Bañoc confirmed that Elenito Cole went to the station yesterday morning but he was not able to meet him. Bañoc told The Freeman that it was his reporter Arnold Bustamante to whom Cole confided his problem.
In an interview with The Freeman, Cole said he wanted to see Bañoc because he was worried about his affidavit, which the police told him to sign last Saturday.
Cole said that the affidavit that the police allegedly prepared mentioned that he saw Alda at the vicinity of the crime scene an hour before Osorio was ambushed.
According to Cole, he was forced to sign the affidavit because it was already Sunday dawn and he was not allowed to leave the police headquarters unless he signed the statement pointing to Alda as the gunman.
The Freeman tried to get CCPO Homicide Section chief Mario Monilar’s reaction but he was not available yesterday because he was reportedly attending a conference.
Cole alleged that he was invited at 5:00 p.m. by the police to identify Alda. However, he could not identify him as he did not really see the face of the gunman.
Cole claimed he was told that he cannot leave the police office unless he signs the affidavit. He said he was only allowed to leave Sunday dawn after he decided to sign the affidavit as he was already starving.
According to Cole, what he saw was the red motorcycle with two persons on board fleeing from the ambush scene.
He said he did not actually see the face of the gunman and the driver because they were wearing helmets.
Cole said he and a fellow trisikad driver, a certain “Tata,” only saw Osorio shouting for help after the shooting. Osorio died at the hospital a day after the incident.
Meanwhile, several bullets were sent to Osorio at his residence in barangay Cawayan, Dalaguete last December 25.
Comendador told reporters yesterday that there was a report that Osorio received a gift on Christmas day containing several bullets of 9mm pistol.
He said the information was from Osorio’s father Jesus, who confirmed that his son also owned a 9mm pistol. Nevertheless, the report was already included in the investigation by the police.
Comendador also presented the cartographic sketch of Osorio’s assailants.
The sketch showed the gunman about 5’6 tall, was wearing a black T-shirt while the driver, about 5’7, was sporting a red shirt.
The police are hopeful that there are still witnesses who can identify the perpetrators. — With Niña Chrismae G. Sumacot/LPM (THE FREEMAN)