Police release sketch of gunman in murder of lamppost scam lawyer

MANILA, Philippines – Police released yesterday an artist’s sketch of one of the gunmen in the murder of the lawyer who represented a Cebu mayor allegedly involved in a multimillion-peso lampposts scandal.

Central Visayas Regional Police director Chief Superintendent Ronaldo Roderos said police gathered that the gunman in the ambush of Atty. Richard Sison was an amateur gun for hire.

“The gunman was not wearing a helmet and autopsy on Sison indicated that only six bullets hit the victim but the gunman shot 14 times,” Roderos said.

Investigators have yet to determine the motive behind the attack but follow-up operations are being conducted in the cities of Cebu and Lapu-Lapu, where the suspect is reportedly hiding.

Police are also checking if Sison’s killing had something to do with his representing one of those involved in the lampposts scam.

Reports have it that Sison was the legal counsel of Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Arturo Radaza, who was implicated in the scam of the lampposts installed along major thoroughfares in Cebu as part of the beautification of the province for the ASEAN summit held there in January 2007.

Police said that Sison, who was in his Toyota Hi-Lux pickup with license plate GKP-376, stopped for a red light at the corner of M.J. Cuenco Avenue and V. Sotto street, Cebu City.

Witnesses said the suspects, who were on board a blue motorcycle without plate number, suddenly opened fire at Sison. The victim died on the way to the Chong Hua hospital.

Roderos directed all Central Visayas provincial directors, city police chiefs, regional mobile groups and station chiefs to intensify operations against motorcycle-riding criminals following the murder of Sison.

“All unit commanders are directed to conduct random checkpoints day and night at different places against motorcycle-riding criminal suspects who are riding in tandem or with back riders,” Roderos said.

In a related development, the Sandiganbayan yesterday ordered the arrest of a director and eight officials of Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and a businessman for graft charges in relation to alleged anomalies in the decorative lampposts project during the ASEAN Summit.

The third division of the anti-graft court, chaired by Associate Justice Francisco Villaruz Jr., ordered the court sheriff to arrest DPWH Regional Director Robert Lala and nine others to face charges of violation of Republic Act 3019 (Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act).

Also ordered arrested were Gloria Dindin, former assistant director for Region XII; Marlina Alvizo, assistant director and chair of Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) of the regional office; Pureza Fernandez, officer-in-charge of the Maintenance Division; Cresensio Bagolor, assistant chief of Maintenance Division; Agustinito Hermoso, Luis Galang, Restituto Diano, and Buenaventura Pajo, all members of the BAC; and Gerardo Surla, chairman of Gampik Construction and Development Inc.

The case being handled by the third division – the fifth in seven filed by the Office of the Ombudsman last month – concerns the supply and installation of 89 decorative lamps along W.O. Seno, C.D. Seno, Plaridel and J. Briones Sts. in Mandaue City.

The respondents were accused of graft for allegedly overpricing the lampposts at P50,000 each when it was found that each unit cost no more than P4,800.

The Ombudsman said the transaction was “grossly disadvantageous” to the government.

There are six other graft cases filed before the Sandiganbayan by the Office of the Ombudsman for the supposed overpricing of a total of 880 lampposts for the ASEAN summit.

In other cases, former Mandaue City mayor Thadeo Ouano and incumbent Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Arturo Radaza were also implicated along with Isabelo Braza, the president and chairman of Fabmik Construction and Equipment Supply Company Inc.

City engineers Hidelisa Latonio, Gregorio Omo, Mario Gerolaga, Alfredo Sanchez, Rosalina Denque, Julito Cuizon, Fernando Tagaan Jr., and Rodelio Veloso were also charged.

All nine officials of DPWH and eight city engineers involved in the scam were earlier ordered dismissed from service by Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez.

The first and sixth cases were raffled off last week to the fifth division of the Sandiganbayan, the second and seventh cases to the first division, the third case to the second division, the fourth case to the fourth division, and the fifth case to the third division.

The Ombudsman filed the criminal charges last April upon recommendation of the fact-finding committee created by the Office of the Ombudsman in Visayas, which found ample grounds to pursue charges against those involved in the alleged anomaly in the P365-million project.

Apart from dismissal from service, charges of violation of RA 3019 were also filed yesterday with the Sandiganbayan against Lala, Ouano, and the other DPWH officials and city engineers.

Gutierrez included in the charge sheet Radaza, Braza, and Surla.

The Ombudsman said Radaza should also be held liable since “as properly designated official with the duty to protect the government at all times, he should have been discerning in affixing his signature on document for the lighting facilities.”  – With Edu Punay