Cover-up feared in Karapatan member slay-try

Human Rights Group Karapatan-Central Visayas fears of a cover-up in the murder try of its members in Tuburan town last Thursday afternoon.

The group has accused the policemen of "dragging its feet" in resolving the murder attempt against Emmylou Cruz and her husband, Daniel Brylle, while they were walking Thursday afternoon in sitio Punta, barangay 8 of the said town.

Cruz and her group were attacked by three motorcycle-riding men in plainclothes, whom they suspected to be members of the 78th Infantry Battalion.

The group said that until now, Tuburan Police chief Crisanto Duque has not lifted a finger to track down Ritchel Buhawi who was the caretaker of a resort house in sitio Punta where the soldiers allegedly stayed since October 24.

The group said that the police chief did not question Buhawi, who could be a rich source of information on the identities of the soldiers and clarify from him if he had prior knowledge on the slay try.

Karapatan visited the crime scene and found out from the residents of Tuburan that Buhawi had taken flight along with the soldiers at about 6:30 pm, shortly three hours after the murder attempt. "Inspector Duque should be interested why councilor Roy Tabotabo and Buhawi allowed the soldiers to make an outpost outside of his resort house. Does this have anything to do with the security of an otherwise peaceful fishing village or with Tabotabo's claim of ownership in some parts of the land?" lawyer Pooch Cinco, chairperson of Karapatan asked.

The group said that it has been providing Duque with leads to rev up the investigation, but alleged the police chief seemed to be content in visiting the site.

The group also expressed dismay on how the police chief had rejected the request from Cruz to make her cartographic sketch, and a police lineup to identify her attackers. - Jasmin R. Uy