(CMFR/IFEX) – Two men believed to be bodyguards of a local politician were arrested on 22 May 2003 in connection with the 17 May killing of DWTI-AM radio announcer Apolinario “Polly” Pobeda, in Lucena City, Quezon, central Philippines. Press reports quoted Senior Superintendent Ricardo Padilla, Quezon police director and head of “Task Force Polly”, saying […]
(CMFR/IFEX) – Two men believed to be bodyguards of a local politician were arrested on 22 May 2003 in connection with the 17 May killing of DWTI-AM radio announcer Apolinario “Polly” Pobeda, in Lucena City, Quezon, central Philippines.
Press reports quoted Senior Superintendent Ricardo Padilla, Quezon police director and head of “Task Force Polly”, saying that Eulogio Patulay and his brother Eric, reportedly bodyguards of Lucena city politicians Ramon Talaga, Jr. and Romano Franco Talaga, were positively identified by an eyewitness.
“Task Force Polly” is composed of members of the provincial police, the Criminal and Detection Group, the military and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
Pobeda, aged 35, was one of three hosts of the morning news programme “Nosi Ba Lasi” (“Who Are They?”), broadcast on ConAmor Broadcasting System’s DWTI-AM radio. He was gunned down by two men on a motorcycle while he was on his way to the station on his own motorcycle at around 5:45 a.m. (local time) on 17 May. The assailants shot him six times.
The Patulay brothers, Padilla was quoted as saying, are members of the security force of Mayor Ramon Talaga, Jr. and his son, Councilor Romano Franco Talaga. According to the Manila-based newspaper “Today”, the police stated that a third suspect “has fled to nearby Laguna province.”
The Manila-based newspaper “Philippine Daily Inquirer” reported that “the arresting team recovered .45 and 9 mm. pistols from the two suspects.” In a 29 May phone interview, ConAmor Broadcasting System owner Joselito Ojeda told CMFR that police had recovered identification cards and other materials from the suspects certifying that they work for the Talagas as security guards.
Padilla, news reports said, refused to give other details on the arrests. The police also refused to allow the media to interview the suspects, who have been placed in police custody, “Today” reported. The paper quoted Padilla as saying that the police is “preparing to file murder charges against the suspects.”
The Patulay brothers, the Manila newspapers reported, did not resist arrest but denied killing Pobeda.
According to “Today”, Mayor Talaga admitted that Eulogio Patulay “had provided security to his son, Councilor Talaga.” Councilor Talaga was also interviewed by the newspaper and confirmed that “the Patulay brothers had been his occasional ‘guides’ four times in the past, especially at nighttime.” Councilor Talaga, who is eyeing the congressional seat for the second district of Quezon in the 2004 elections, initiated a resolution condemning Pobeda’s killing and urged police to resolve the case quickly.
