Husband urges cops to solve radio host's murder

MANILA, Philippines - The husband of slain broadcaster Marlina Sumera appealed to law enforcement agencies yesterday to exert extra effort in solving her murder, saying three weeks have gone by but police have yet to make an arrest.

“Is it because my wife was not as controversial as other media personalities slain in line with their jobs?” John Sumera, 48, told The STAR in a telephone interview.

Sumera said despite the creation of a task force to investigate the death of his wife, who hosted a public service program on radio station dzME, no progress has been made.

He said his wife was murdered for helping their poor neighbors legally own their house and lot. Marlina was the president of the Silonian Homeowners’ Association (SHA) in Barangay Maysilo.

Sumera said the Malabon City police, the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group and the National Bureau of Investigation are the three law enforcement agencies looking into the killing of his wife, “but they seem to be facing a blank wall. No positive update yet.”

He said after Northern Police District director Chief Superintendent Edgardo Ladao, head of Task Force Sumera, released sketches of his wife’s killers, police have been silent on the progress of their investigation.

Superintendent Rio Gatacilo, former spokesman of the task force, and now deputy chief of the Malabon City police, assured Sumera that they are “working hard” for the early resolution of the case.

“We were able to get witnesses, came up with the sketches of the gunmen, and are now looking into the land dispute as the most probable motive behind the murder,” Gatacilo said.

He, however, admitted that the absence of witnesses are the main impediments to their investigation. “We could not just (tag) somebody to be behind this sinister act without a witness who could directly link that person to the case,” Gatacilo said.

Marlina was walking a few meters away from her house on Silonian street in Barangay Maysilo, Malabon City on the morning of March 24 when she was gunned down.

Police earlier said a land dispute between Sumera’s SHA and the Kapitbahayan at Samahan sa Maysilo (Kasama), led by Emma Nuqui, could be the “most probable” motive for Sumera’s murder. Both groups are locked in a court battle over the ownership of a 4.2 hectare-property owned by the National Housing Authority in Barangay Maysilo.