(CMFR/IFEX) – In what could be a ray of hope in the murder of radio commentator Rolando Morales, local police said they were about to finally serve arrest warrants and file charges against the suspects. The commentator was killed on 3 July 2005 in General Santos City, around 850 kilometres south of Manila. Central Mindanao […]
(CMFR/IFEX) – In what could be a ray of hope in the murder of radio commentator Rolando Morales, local police said they were about to finally serve arrest warrants and file charges against the suspects. The commentator was killed on 3 July 2005 in General Santos City, around 850 kilometres south of Manila.
Central Mindanao Police Chief Danny Mangila reported the breakthrough to Philippine National Police Director-General Arturo Lomibao. Earlier, Mangila announced that a prominent person is believed to be behind the murder of Morales, a part-time broadcaster in General Santos City and an anti-crime volunteer in the local village.
“Our investigation on the Morales slay is over. We have identified the mastermind and murder charges have been filed by Task Force Morales . . . against the suspects with the DoJ [Department of Justice],” he said.
On 28 August, a murder charge was filed at DoJ against Federico Sarifa Jr. and Sonny Dimol.
Lomibao arrived in Polomolok and ordered Mangila to form a task force to speed up the investigation of the broadcaster’s slaying. In a press briefing on 30 July, Mangila said the police expected an arrest warrant to be issued soon against the suspects.
Morales was the fifth journalist to be killed in the country this year. His murder brought to 18 the number of journalists killed in three years.
