Squatting syndicate eyed in radio host's slay

MANILA, Philippines - Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jesse Robredo ordered police yesterday to leave no stone unturned in investigating the murder of a radio news anchor in Malabon City, saying a well-entrenched syndicate engaged in professional squatting could be behind the attack.

Robredo personally met with the Malabon police, local government officials and representatives of urban poor association hours after the assassination of Marlina “Len” Flores-Sumera, 45, of radio station dzME’s “Arangkada 1530.”

The DILG secretary said Sumera’s murder could be connected to a land dispute between two homeowners’ groups on Silonian street in Barangay Maysilo, with one group, the Silonian Homeowners Association (SHA), headed by the victim and another group, the Kapitbahayan at Samahan sa Maysilo (Kasama), led by Emma Nuqui.

Robredo said Nuqui’s group was claiming ownership of a 4.2-hectare National Housing Authority (NHA) property in Barangay Maysilo that was reportedly awarded to occupants in 2008.

Last Monday, Robredo said the other group apparently got irked at Sumera, who succeeded in blocking the effort of Nuqui’s group to get a temporary retraining order (TRO) from the court.

Nuqui’s group sought a TRO to stop the SHA from implementing several projects, including one for a road and drainage system and a multi-purpose hall, but the court refused to approve the TRO.

Robredo pointed out that the project has the support of the Malabon government, NHA and the Philippine Business for Social Progress.

Aside from the land dispute in Maysilo, Robredo said authorities learned Nuqui’s group is also reportedly involved in a similar dispute in Barangay Catmon, whose officials have been receiving threats.

“That’s why the instruction to the police is to get to the root of this, not just the association in Maysilo. Emma Nuqui, the one on top is Jun Bagasala, then a certain De los Reyes,” he said. “This is a very urgent case. President Aquino ordered us to investigate and get to the bottom of the case.”

Robredo directed Northern Police District (NPD) director Chief Superintendent Edgardo Ladao to get to the bottom of the case, identify and arrest the gunman and the mastermind.

Robredo admitted that if Sumera’s murder will not be solved, the syndicate behind the attack will be emboldened and continue sowing fear in the community.

He also assured Sumera’s group that they have the support of the government. “If they think that the association will weaken by murdering Sumera, they are wrong, we will support the association and we will look for the members of the syndicate,” Robredo said.

P-Noy confident killers will be caught

Aquino expressed confidence yesterday that Sumera’s killers will eventually be arrested because the police has identified the suspects.

“Given that, given also the cooperation of the witnesses, I am confident that we will be able to bring this perpetrator to justice,” Aquino said in a chance interview at the SMX Convention Center at the SM Mall of Asia.

Presidential Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma said all killings of media personalities under the Aquino administration had been “considered solved.” He said appropriate charges have been filed against the suspects in the murders of journalists Gerardo Ortega in Palawan in February, Jose Daguio in Kalinga and Miguel Belen in Nabua, Camarines Sur in July 2010.

Department of Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said she has ordered the DOJ’s task force on extrajudicial and media killings to start its own probe.

She said “media killing is more difficult to deal with because motives vary from political to personal to work-related.”

Sen. Loren Legarda, a former broadcaster, and Reps. Ben Evardone of Eastern Samar and Winston Castelo of Quezon City condemned Sumera’s killing.

Mayor offers reward

Malabon Mayor Canuto Oreta offered P100,000 yesterday for any information that may help solve Sumera’s murder.

“I gave P100,000 personal money to our local police which they could use in the early resolution of the murder of Sumera. They could utilize it as a reward for an informant or for their operation,” Oreta told The STAR in a telephone interview.

Superintendent Rio Gatacilo, NPD public information office chief, said Sumera was attacked by four persons, including a woman, as she was on her way to work Thursday morning. He said the four gunmen appeared to be “professional hired guns” in the manner they carried out the killing.

He said that at the time she was killed, Sumera was set to implement a P2.2-million development project for the SHA, which included the widening of Silonian street and the construction of a multi-purpose hall, but it would affect 29 houses of the Kasama members.

Gatacilo said Nuqui and her group are not yet considered suspects.

He said they are looking into other angles, particularly the involvement of a left-wing urban hit squad. Last week Barangay North Bay Boulevard South (NBBS) chairman Edwin Abella was gunned down in a similar manner, including the participation of a woman in the murder.

Abella’s killers left copies of an open letter with the logo of an urban hit squad enumerating Abella’s reported “sins against the people.”

Gatacilo said no such letter was left behind by Sumera’s killers, but a “pretty, tomboyish” woman in her 20s was seen with the gunmen.

A police report said the woman was seen walking ahead of Sumera, then signaled two men at a nearby eatery to follow. One of the two men crossed the victim’s path while the other man shot Sumera in the back of the head. The shooter allegedly picked up the shell and walked away.

The two men boarded a Monumento-bound jeepney, while the woman and another man followed their companions on a motorcycle. – With Delon Porcalla, Edu Punay, Jerry Botial, Pete Laude, Paolo Romero, Christina Mendez