By Jeffrey Damicog
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said on Tuesday (Nov. 12) that he has ordered government prosecutors to seek precautionary hold departure orders (PHDO) against suspects in the killing of radio broadcaster Dindo Generoso to prevent them from leaving the country.
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra (TOTO LOZANO/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO/FILE PHOTO/MANILA BULLETIN)
Guevarra gave the directive after a murder complaint was filed before the Dumaguete City Prosecutor’s Office (OCP-Dumaguete) against businessman Tomasino Aledro and three other suspects in the killing.
Aside from Aledro, the other suspects are Police Corporal Roger Rubio, retired policeman Glenn Corsame, and Teddy Salaw.
“I have directed the OCP (Office of the City Prosecutor)-Dumaguete to apply for a precautionary HDO against Aledro ASAP (as soon as possible),” Guevarra told reporters.
Prior this, the Secretary said he has issued last week immigration lookout bulletin orders (ILBO) against the four suspects so that the Bureau of Immigration (BI) can monitor their movement.
“I gave instructions to the OCP regarding the PHDO yesterday, but the BI was alerted last week pa,” he disclosed.
A PHDO is issued by a court if case is still undergoing preliminary investigation before a prosecutor.
This is different from an HDO which is issued also by a court once charges have been filed before it.
Generoso, 67, is the anchor of the program “Konsencia sa Provincia” on DYEM FM BAI Radio.
He was slain during an ambush at around 7:30 a.m. last Thursday (Nov. 7) in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental.
That morning, Generoso was driving his car on his way to the radio station when he got shot allegedly by a lone gunman along Hibbard Avenue in Barangay Piapi.
Last week, Guevarra also formed a special investigating team (SIT) to investigate the gun attack against Radio ni Juan station manager Benjie Caballero in Sultan Kudarat last October 30.
Following the attack, Guevarra , who chairs the Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS), also ordered the creation a SIT) to conduct a probe into the killing.