Amidst media insinuation: Police insist: Velez not a fall guy

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City police chief Patrocinio Comendador defended their arrest of Ruel Velez, alleged gunman in the ambush-slay of hotelier Manuel Ting, following media reports questioning the credibility of their investigation.

Comendador reacted to a newspaper column quoting a supposed witness to the crime claiming that Velez was not the real gunman. Newspaper columnist Bobby Nalzaro claimed that he had his reporter Guam Logroño locate an 18-year old sales lady of a bakery who allegedly witnessed the killing of Ting on June 22 in Barangay Tisa after he did not see her name in the list of witnesses tapped by the police.

Nalzaro said in his column that Logroño was able to locate the witness in Naga City. Logroño reportedly showed to the witness the picture of Velez which was published on the newspapers.

According to Nalzaro, the witness told Logroño that Velez was not Ting’s killer.

Logronio, who was among the reporters who interviewed Comendador yesterday, said that the witness’ statement was heard by the barangay captain, tanod, and her parents.

“I expect the woman to change her statement once police locate her and maybe exert some pressure on her. We know how the police work,” Nalzaro concluded in his column yesterday.

But, Comendador insisted that they have already talked to the witness several times. According to Comendador, the saleslady told them that she did not see the face of the gunman as she was facing in the opposite direction.

Comendador told reporters yesterday that the woman has been consistent during those four times that they visited her at the bakery for investigation that she could not identify the gunman.

“This woman was the most proximate to the gunman, but wala daw siya kita sa face sa gunman kay nagtalikod. Ang iya ra’ng ingon na anggid-anggid ra daw ni Velez ang gitas-on og gidauton sa gunman ‘nya ubanon gamay ang buhok sa likod,” Comendador said.

Comendador, apparently controlling his anger, appealed to the media to cooperate with the police instead of jeopardizing their operation.

Comendador presented the mother of the supposed witness who clarified that her daughter did not recognize the gunman.

“Ako lang g’yud klaruhon na wala g’yud kita akong anak sa nawong sa suspek,” she said, adding that her daughter resigned from her work at the bakery because of great fear of the incident.

But Logronio insisted to Comendador yesterday that the woman did not identify Velez as the gunman. Police Regional Office Director Lani-O Nerez said they will check the background of the woman.

“We should not believe at once sa mga gipanulti by conducting background checking. Ato tan-awn unsa’y tuyo ug tumong ani niya. Two versus one witness, mas dako sad ang purohan na mas mutuo ka sa duha,” he said.

Nerez said their case is strong and this alleged recent statement of the woman to Logronio will not affect the case.   (FREEMAN NEWS)