Still no justice for Llamas family

It has been a year since Ateneo law school graduate Jose Ramon Llamas was gunned down over a traffic altercation in Pasay City, but justice remains elusive to his family as his killer remains on the loose.

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), however, said it is not giving up hope in arresting Basher Abdulrahman, the primary suspect in the fatal shooting in the afternoon of Jan. 10 last year.

"We are in close coordination with our men in Masiu, Lanao del Sur, where Abdulrahman was last seen," an agent of the NBI said. "We are still working for his arrest."

The source noted that Abdulrahman is still in Masiu, Lanao del Sur. "He is not safe in other places as people would recognize him and surely inform authorities of his whereabouts because of the reward."

The NBI official assured the Llamas family that they will leave no stone unturned in hunting down Abdulrahman, who reportedly has an affiliation with the extremist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

"Abdulrahman’s uncle was a retired official of the MILF, so in effect, he enjoys protection," the source added.

NBI agents admitted that they are waiting for the right time to arrest Abdulrahman, noting that MILF rebels might go after them once they arrest Abdulrahman.

Llamas, 26, was shot dead on Jan. 10, 2002 at the corner of Buendia Avenue and Taft Avenue in Pasay City over a traffic altercation. He suffered three gunshot wounds in the body.

The NBI and the Pasay City police filed charges against Abdulrahman, who is now the subject of a warrant of arrest.

Lawyer Edmund Arugay, chief of the NBI-National Capital Region, earlier said the bureau is taking all precautions to make sure that their case against Abdulrahman is air-tight.

Earlier, specimen slugs from Abdulrahman’s gun, a registered 9 mm Taurus pistol, matched three deformed slugs retrieved from the crime scene.

Arugay noted the NBI has strong evidence against Abdulrahman, saying there were witnesses who saw him shoot Llamas.

The Llamas family, the NBI and the Pasay City police have offered a P750,000 reward to anyone who can provide authorities with information leading to the arrest of Abdulrahman.

Mike Atayde, a cousin of Llamas, said Llamas’ friends from De La Salle University and Ateneo de Manila University also contributed to the fund. – Cecille Suerte Felipe