Cops secure witness in vice mayor's killing
Police now have in protective custody a male witness in Thursday's killing of Ajuy Vice Mayor Ramon Rojas Jr.
This, as police manhunt on the two male assailants continues and widens throughout Iloilo towns particularly in the northern coastal areas. A separate extensive validation is also underway to pin down the mastermind, intelligence sources told The News Today (TNT) even as the vice mayor's family opted to keep mum on circumstances leading to Thursday's murder.
Corresponding murder charge is also being readied, TNT further learned, with police probers optimistic of a major break this week.
The male witness described only as a local, chanced upon the two motorcycle-riding men minutes before the first shots were fired. He surfaced Saturday with at least three more reportedly ready to follow suit and help shed light on the identities of the vice mayor's killers.
In a report over Bombo Radyo Iloilo, the witness was quoted as having told police that escape route of the triggerman and associate was towards the nearby town of Concepcion, Iloilo. From the crime scene though, at least three possible exits may be made, all easily accessible by any form of transport.
Senior Superintendent Ricardo De La Paz, appointed chief of the newly-formed police Task Force Rojas further told said radio station of his expectation for yet more witnesses soon. Usual safety concerns and fear of reprisal currently deter said full police cooperation.
The filing of murder charge was then confirmed by De La Paz in same Bombo Radyo interview while adding that identities of the culprits will soon be disclosed. Once made public, a similar disclosure of the purported mastermind is highly-probable with police already confirming the Rojas killing was a paid liquidation job.
Meantime, the daughter of the victim appealed for understanding on the silence and privacy requested by the family. Sherra Lee Rojas, second of the four Rojas siblings spoke over Bombo Radyo saying it is not yet time for them to speak about the case. Her mother, she confirmed, was hospitalized in London after hearing of the tragic incident. The vice mayor's wife is a London-based nurse.
Vice mayor Rojas succumbed to four gunshot wounds all fired at close range. The killing took place along the national road in Barangay Central, some two kilometers from the town proper. It was to be the usual morning walk of the vice mayor who was then in the company of Barangay Captain Armando Nacional. Said village chief was spared by the killers. Ajuy is around 87 kilometers north of Iloilo City with Thursday's murder motives pursued by investigators as either brought by politics or business-related.
Occurrence of illegal fishing here was one of the earlier angles entertained by police that could have also caused the planned hit. With the manner of execution, intelligence sources shared, the killers were "professionals" and not from Iloilo. It is also possible and in fact being verified, the sources added, that local accomplices were nearby to provide back-up and caused the easy escape of the duo.
The vice mayor at the time of his tragic death was credited for putting his political group together and for the group's victory in the last elections.