Reward reportedly raised to P1.3M, King slay suspect “image” released

CEBU, Philippines - The Davao City Police Office yesterday released a computer-generated facial composite of the assailant who allegedly gunned down hotelier Richard King, this as the Philippine National Police regional office ordered them to speed up the investigation.

According to  Edge Davao, the image was released to the public through the “Isumbongkay CDDCPO” Facebook page yesterday.

The same Facebook account announced that a reward of P1.3 million awaited any information that will lead to the arrest of those behind the murder.

As this developed, Police Regional Office–11 director Chief Superintendent Wendy Rosario ordered DCPO to hasten the investigation.

“Ang iyang marching order ani is to speed up the investigation and would be able to solve the case at the shortest possible time,” the newspaper quoted PRO-11 spokesman Chief Inspector Jed Clamor as saying.

Clamor said the investigation is still focusing on a business related angle or possible personal grudge against King.

Clamor also said the Special Investigation Task Group King is now looking for two persons of interests in the case after information surfaced that the two have previous interactions with King.

“Pero, wala man ta’y ebidensya na mag-link directly sa ilaha,” Clamor said. Based on the progress report of DCPO, a man with a pending criminal case for physical injuries has been considered as a person of interest after they received information that he had a personal grudge against King.

King was shot dead last June 12 by a lone assailant while he was eating inside the Vital C building in Barangay Obrero, Davao City.

Based on the initial investigation of the Sta. Ana Police Precinct, Vital C distributors Bobby Roldan, 23, of Talomo Cemento; Glenn Castigon, 23, of Datu Abing Calinan, and Ferdinand Estigoy, 44, said they saw the assailant enter the establishment and stand around for a while.

After a few seconds, the assailant approached the victim and shot him in the head. The assailant was last seen escaping on a motorcycle driven by another man.

The witnesses described the assailant as in his 30’s and 5’5" tall.

Reward

The reward for information in the murder has reportedly been raised to P1.3 million, according to the Davao police, after the King family reportedly raised their reward from P200,000 to P1 million. This is on top of the P300,000 offered by Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.

As of last night, however, no representative from the King family could be reached to confirm this.

Meanwhile, National Bureau of Investigation-7 Regional Director Max Salvador said their office is coordinating with the NBI Davao in their separate and independent investigation into the killing.

Last Friday Salvador said their office received a request from the family of King to conduct an investigation, but NBI Davao has jurisdiction since it happened in their area.

Davao City Police Office director Senior Superintendent Vicente Danao Jr. said that Police Regional Office-7, the Cebu City Police Office and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-7 already gave information that might help them solve the case.

But he clarified the investigation in Cebu is different from the investigation they are conducted in Davao City.           

“May mga information na nakakatulong din…iba ang investigation d’yan sa Cebu, iba ‘din sa Davao…lalo na sa closest friends sa family,” he said. —(FREEMAN)