SPD revives probe of German hotel exec's slay; reward now at P2 million

MANILA, Philippines - The Southern Police District (SPD) has reactivated a task group formed to investigate the murder of a German hotel executive in Makati City last year.

Senior Superintendent Federico Castro Jr., deputy district director for operations, said “Task Group Mazza” was reactivated to hopefully put closure on the year-old killing of Segio Mazza, 38.

Castro, the new commander of the task group, told The STAR that reactivation was done in August after most of the group’s previous members left SPD.

The task group has nine members, including the Makati City police’s officer-in-charge as deputy commander. Under the task group are three tracker teams composed of five members each.

Mazza’s family has also raised the bounty for Mazza’s killers from P300,000 to P2 million, Castro said.

Mazza, 38, was the assistant executive food and beverage manager of Shangri-La Hotel in Makati. 

He was shot on his way to work by a lone gunman with a .22 caliber pistol at the corner of De la Rosa and Perea streets in Makati City on June 17. 

The gunman was accompanied by two others who served as lookouts.

Castro said Mazza’s love affairs remain the strongest motives in the murder.

Last December, the Makati police released a sketch of the hotel executive’s alleged gunman. Then case investigator Police Officer 2 Emelson Madronio said all of the perpetrators are fair-skinned, of medium build, and weigh around 80 to 85 kilos. – Aie Balagtas See