CALAPAN CITY, Oriental Mindoro – At least three individuals, including a police major and a provincial official, have been identified as persons of interest by the Special Investigation Task Group (SITG) formed to investigate the killing of radio commentator Crescenciano “Cris” Bundoquin in this city on May 31.
Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS) Executive Director Paul M. Gutierrez said that aside from the police major, his close associate in a local “peryahan” (fun fair) should also be asked to shed light on the killing of Bundoquin.
On Monday, the SITG referred the criminal complaint for murder against the alleged gunman identified as Isabelo Lopez Bautista, 45, married, a resident of Barangay Alcadesma, Bansud, Oriental Mindoro, to the office of the city prosecutor for evaluation.
Bautista remains at-large and is now the subject of a massive police manhunt for almost a week now.
Bundoquin, a 50-year-old radio block timer of DWXR 101.7 Kalahi FM, was shot and killed in front of his store in Barangay Santa Isabel before dawn on May 31.
One of the suspects, Narciso I. Guntan, of Paclasan, Roxas, this province, died after the shooting when Bunduquin’s son chased him and Bautista on board a car and accidentally bumped the suspects’ motorcycle, resulting into the death of Guntan.
Police said Guntan was the driver of the motorcycle, a Honda XRM125 with license plate DD22153. The alleged gunman, Bautista was the back rider who fled on foot.
Background investigation made by the SITG-Bunduquin said Guntan was convicted for violation of the dangerous drugs law in 2015 but released a year later after he entered into a plea-bargaining agreement.
Police Col. Samuel Delorino, Oriental Mindoro police chief, said Guntan had a frustrated murder case in 2016 which was filed in court in Roxas, Oriental Mindoro.
Police were able to obtain Guntan’s identity thru an identification card recovered from him. Another ID, a picture, and other personal belongings were also recovered from the toolbox of the motorcycle.
Gutierrez said that another person of interest is a provincial official who allegedly employ Bautista from time to time as a driver and who was also allegedly criticized by Bundoquin over his radio program.
He said he has formally asked the SITG for a complete set of the case folder, including the photos and description of Bautista, for dissemination to the public and other related documents for reference by the PTFoMS in Manila in monitoring the progress of the case.