Release of murder mastermind probed

There’s more trouble ahead for the chief of the Criminal Investigation Division (CID) and a police investigator from the Marikina City police blamed for the mysterious release of a lotto winner tagged as the mastermind in the killing of his neighbor.

Not satisfied with the relief of CID chief and investigator Senior Inspector Armando Ponce and SPO3 Bello Borquetta, Metro Manila police chief Deputy Director General Reynaldo Velasco ordered yesterday a deeper probe into their roles why lotto winner, Luisito de los Reyes, alias Lito, was freed despite strong evidence against him. "Their relief is not enough," said Velasco, of Ponce and Borquetta. "They should answer for their actions."

Velasco tasked Senior Supt. Felipe Rojas Jr., Marikina City police chief, to dig into reports that P500,000 changed hands for the release of De los Reyes. Rojas’ report would determine whether Ponce and Borquetta would undergo summary dismissal proceedings.

"If found guilty of any wrongdoing, they will face summary dismissal proceedings, " Velasco told The STAR in an interview.

Rojas said they will question today before the Department of Justice (DOJ) the decision of Assistant City Prosecutor Loreto Asejo to release De los Reyes for insufficiency of evidence.

Rojas told The STAR that three of their seven witnesses, including the gunman, Ramil Gonzales, pointed to De los Reyes as the mastermind in the killing of Johnny Tuano, 31, last Monday.

"We have witnesses who quoted De los Reyes as telling them he will strike Tuano first before he could put one over him," said Rojas. Police have gathered information that Tuano and a friend wanted to extort money from de los Reyes by framing him up on a drug case. According to Rojas, they also have a certification from the Firearms and Explosives Division (FED) in Camp Crame that the handgun, a caliber 9mm Jericho automatic pistol seized from Gonzales, was registered under De los Reyes’ name. – Non Alquitran