Leftists eyed in Popoy’s killing

The killers of labor leader Felimon "Popoy" Lagman could be mercenaries who are former members of a left-wing group.

Former Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman gave this hint to reporters yesterday when he arrived at Camp Crame in Quezon City for a briefing on developments in the police investigations on his brother’s assassination.

"It seems that they’re (police) only focused on a single theory," he said.

Lagman called on the Philippine National Police (PNP) to widen its investigation on the case to speed up the arrest of Popoy’s killers.

"We have given them the needed leads and they (police) should determine if these mercenaries were used by the real mastermind," he said.

Acting PNP chief Deputy Director General Leandro Mendoza told The STAR yesterday he has assured the Lagman family that police investigators are "doubling efforts" to arrest and jail Popoy’s killers.

On the other hand, police investigators said they welcome the Lagman family’s announcement that they would seek the help of foreign private investigators in identifying the killers of Popoy and their mastermind.

"It would be a big boost to our efforts to apprehend the culprit," the officials said.

Lagman told reporters yesterday they are hiring private foreign investigators to "encompass the whole angle of the case," including the motive behind the killing of Popoy.

"It is not impossible that our patience and long wait will start to dwindle," he said.

Lagman said the foreign private investigators which they have contacted are expected to arrive in the country within the next two days. "These are experts with kindred spirits," he said.

Lagman said his family is getting impatient at the "slow pace" of the police investigation on the murder of his brother.

"We will only be satisfied with the situation if the culprits and the mastermind will be arrested by the police," he said.

Meanwhile, Popoy’s comrades in the underground have vowed to avenge his death as they chided the police for failing to arrest a suspect a week after his murder.

Victor Briz, secretary general of Partido ng Manggagawa, told reporters yesterday they will "not take the matter into their own hands," but that they cannot prevent "underground groups" from avenging Popoy’s death.

"On our part, we will give justice to Ka Popoy’s death by carrying on with the fight for the protection of labor against the scourge of globalization and the emancipation of the workers from capitalist exploitation with the Partido ng Manggagawa as instrument," he said. – With Mayen Jaymalin