Reward for arrest of hotel executive's killer raised to P2 M

MANILA, Philippines - The family of slain Makati Shangri-La Hotel food and beverage executive Sergio Mazza has raised the reward for the arrest of his killers from P300,000 to P2 million.

Makati City police chief Senior Superintendent Froilan Bonifacio announced the increase in reward money citing an e-mail sent by Mazza’s twin brother, Sandro Mazza.

Mazza, 38, a German-Italian, was gunned down on June 17 last year by at least two suspects at the corner of De la Rosa and Perea streets. Mazza suffered at least three bullet wounds in the head.

“We are hopeful that with the raise in the reward, new witnesses would surface and give us fresh information on the case,” Bonifacio said.

Bonifacio said homicide investigators are reviewing the statements given by at least 12 persons, mostly close friends of the victim.

“We are now backtracking the case. We still don’t have the suspects’ identities and our evidence are still mostly circumstantial,” he said.

The Makati police also has in its possession, the computer-generated images of the two alleged gunmen and of another man who allegedly acted as the lookout.

Bonifacio said they are still focusing on the “love angle” in Mazza’s killing. He said police have information Mazza had simultaneous romantic relations with eight different women.