Military holds parallel probe of shooter's slay

MANILA, Philippines - The military is conducting a parallel probe on the ambush-slaying of Philippine practical shooting team member Michael Lontoc, investigators said yesterday.

The Military Intelligence Group 17 (MIG 17) of the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP) has coordinated with the Malabon police for documents on Lontoc’s killing last Sept. 25.

The ISAFP had also been sharing with police investigators from the Northern Police District (NPD) data regarding a gun smuggling syndicate whose leaders could have had a hand in Lontoc’s slaying.

“The military intelligence agents are digging deeper into the alleged illegal activities of Lontoc. They wanted to know whether he was involved in selling high-powered firearms and explosives, who was his source and to whom he sold them,” a police investigator said.

The ISAFP has several findings in Lontoc’s case but the investigator refused to reveal them so as not to jeopardize ongoing follow-up operations.

Military intelligence agents are also verifying the involvement of policemen and other law enforcers not only in the killing of Lontoc but also in his alleged illegal activities, the source said.

Earlier, an NPD investigator claimed Lontoc handed out P10 million to a policeman to prevent his arrest for his alleged illegal activities.

The policeman, a shooter himself, belongs to a special unit of the Philippine National Police in Camp Crame but is currently deployed to a government agency.