Councilor linked to radioman’s murder

LUCENA CITY — A new witness has surfaced in the May 17 killing of local broadcaster Apolinario Pobeda, alleging that a city councilor knew about the incident.

But councilor Vic Paulo vehemently denied the claims of the witness, Wilson Ortula, who is now under the custody of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group.

"Ang dapat imbestigahan ay ang taong yan at kung sino ang taong nasa likod niya (He should be the one who should be probed, and the people behind him)," Paulo told The STAR.

In a sworn affidavit, Ortula claimed that the alleged gunman, Eulogio Patulay, dropped by Paulo’s house 45 minutes after Pobeda was slain.

Ortula said he was at Paulo’s house in Barangay 9 here at about 6:45 a.m. of May 17 to ask for a laying hen when Patulay arrived aboard a red motorcycle.

Ortula claimed to have heard Patulay telling Paulo, "Konsehal, mission accomplished, pinatay na namin si (we already killed) Polly Pobeda." Paulo allegedly responded by nodding his head, he recalled.

Paulo said his conscience is clear. "Alam kong lulutang ang katotohanan (I believe the truth will come out)," he said.

Paulo admitted though that Ortula was indeed in his house when Pobeda was killed. But he denied ever seeing Patulay.

"Hindi ko pa nakikita kailanman ang sinasabi niyang Patulay (I have never seen the Patulay he was talking about)," he added.

Lucena Mayor Ramon Talaga also defended Paulo from the allegations. "It’s another set-up by our political enemies," he said.

"It’s a politically motivated move and they are really desperate in misleading the police investigation," added Talaga, who himself has been linked to the killing but which he has denied.

Patulay and his brother Eric are both detained in connection with the slaying. They were tagged as bodyguards of Talaga’s councilor-son Romano, but the mayor belied this, saying the Patulays were just supporters.

A third suspect, Leonides Alcantara, alleged to have finished off Pobeda, was recently released after posting P120,000 bail. Pobeda’s colleagues have criticized his release.