DOJ declares Ilocos militant’s killing solved

SAN FERNANDO, La Union — The Department of Justice (DOJ) has declared the 2005 gunslaying of the Ilocos secretary general of the militant party-list group Bayan Muna solved, the victim’s wife said.

Elvie Sanchez, wife of slain Bayan Muna regional leader Romy Sanchez, said she has received a letter from Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez saying the killing was solved with the alleged gunman identified and a warrant of arrest issued against him.

Gonzales named a certain Aries Binoya, a resident of Nueva Ecija, as the one suspected of shooting Sanchez in the head with a caliber .45 pistol on March 9, 1995 while he was shopping at an ukay-ukay (used clothing) store in Baguio City.

"The suspect has a warrant of arrest but they could not find him," Elvie quoted Gonzalez as saying.

Elvie now heads Hustisya (Justice) Ilocos, composed of families of victims of extrajudicial killings.

She, however, said they don’t believe Gonzalez because the DOJ has not even conducted a single hearing, merely relying on police reports.

"We are not convinced with the letter. They (DOJ) only want to clear the military, which we believe is behind the death of my husband. The killing of Romy (had) the same pattern as that applied by the military to other militant leaders," she said.

Although the DOJ considers the case already solved, Elvie and leaders of militant groups have filed with the DOJ a motion for a re-investigation of the case to identify the real suspects.

"We won’t stop until we get justice. They should present the suspect to us," she said.

In a related development, Avelino Dacanay, leader of the Solidarity of Peasants Against Exploitation, told The STAR that the shooting of Pastor Billy Austin, a leader of the Alyansang Makabayan-Ilocos, in Vigan City last month was still under investigation.

He said they have submitted to the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group the "chronology of surveillance" which they claimed the Army unit in Ilocos Sur had conducted against them before Austin, along with Dacanay and two others, was ambushed.

Austin suffered gunshot wounds in both legs, while Dacanay and their two companions escaped unhurt.