Two suspects in Cinco slay show up at NBI

Two suspects in the Nov. 20 slay of Commission on Elections (Comelec) information chief Velma Cinco, submitted themselves for investigation at the National Bureau of Investigation yesterday afternoon.

Accompanied by their lawyers, Faustino Tugade, Ricardo Tumambing and Rodolfo Fortich surfaced at the National Bureau of Investigation’s Metro Manila office.

Fortich and Tumambing were initially interviewed by investigators and had their photographs taken, but denied allegations that they were involved in Cinco’s murder.

Tumambing surrendered to the NBI a licensed Colt. 45 pistol that he said originally belonged to his late father. Fortich told reporters that he would soon be surrendering to the NBI his licensed caliber .380 FEG pistol.

Tumambing said that he was at the house of former Comelec Education and Information chief Angelina Matibag in Las Piñas at the time of Cinco’s shooting. Tumambing, who said he was a driver of the Matibag family, said he had the .45 pistol licensed when the government declared an amnesty on illegal firearms in 1996.

Fortich, who claims to be a former "Comelec Agent 2" with the staff of Comelec commissioner Luzviminda Tancangco, told reporters that he bought the gun "for protection" while serving as a liaison officer for Roland Lim, son of former Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim, who ran for Congress during the last election.

According to Fortich, he was at his house in Tondo when Cinco was gunned down. Fortich said as "agent" for the Comelec, he was just doing "paperwork" in Tancangco’s office. He added that he resigned from the post in May 1999.

Fortich and Tumambing later left the NBI building after briefly being quizzed by investigators.

The NBI had earlier subpoenaed Fortich, Tumambing and Mario Francisco for questioning regarding the case.

Francisco, of Satima Village in Las Piñas, was tagged as one of the suspects in the case by the Western Police District. He surfaced at the NBI last Friday and surrendered a licensed 9 mm Tanfoglio pistol to investigators.

According to Francisco, he was doing gardening chores at the house of Angelina Matibag during the time Cinco was shot dead by two men aboard a motorcycle in Sta. Ana, Manila last Nov. 20 at the corner of Pedro Gil and Eden Streets.

Francisco told reporters that he is now employed as an all-around helper at the house of Matibag located at the corner of Yolanda Dominguez and Evelyn Camus in BF Resort Subdivision in Las Piñas.

According to Francisco, he was helping Matibag in her garden when Cinco was shot dead.

"I was suprised when my name cropped-up as one of the alleged gunmen. I was at the house of Attorney Matibag at the time of the murder," Francisco said.

The NBI and the WPD arrested last November 29 in Barangay Malkimpook, San Pascual, Batangas Conrado Robles, 47 another suspect in the case. Seized form him was an unlicensed Browning caliber .32 pistol.

According to Robles his gun was covered by a mission order issued by a Colonel Esnesto Matibag.

The NBI said, Robles, a former casual employee at the Comelec EID who was removed after Cinco took over, resembled a police sketch of one of the gunmen.

Robles was later positively identified as one of the gunmen by Marian Jayme, the 47-year old sister of Cinco. Jayme was seated in the backseat of Cinco’s red Kia Pride when they were blocked by the suspects at the corner of Eden and Pedro Gil streets in Sta. Ana.

Though the gunmen had covered their faces with face towels and were wearing dark glasses to hide their faces, Robles was tagged by Jayme as one of the gunmen through a scar on his forehead.

The NBI filed charges of illegal possession of firearms, murder and frustrated murder charges against Robles with the Department of Justice.

Cinco, 63, officer-in-charge of the Comelec’s EID was being driven by her son Carlo, 37 from their house in Sta. Ana to work at about 8:00 a.m. aboard her red Kia car with plate number TDR-779 when their way was blocked by the two gunmen aboard a motorcycle at the corner of Eden and Pedro Gil streets.