Lazaro offers P.2-M bounty for killers

STA. CRUZ, Laguna — Gov. Teresita Lazaro has offered a P200,000 reward for any information that could lead to the arrest of the killers of a newsman here last Tuesday.

Noel Villarante, 32, a hard-hitting commentator of radio station dzJV and a columnist of a local community paper, was gunned down in front of his house by three assassins.

Lazaro, who was earlier tagged by Villarante’s wife, Jocelyn, as among those who had been allegedly at odds with her husband, along with provincial board members Rolando Bagnes and Susano Tapia, has denied any involvement in the crime.

Bagnes and Tapia also denied Jocelyn’s statements.

Senior Superintendent Edwin Corvera, Laguna police director, also downplayed the accusation against Lazaro, saying the governor was only identified as a close associate of Bagnes.

"She’s out from our list," Corvera told The STAR.

He said a special task force has been formed to go after Villarante’s assassins. The provincial police, the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group and the National Bureau of Investigation are represented in the task force.

"We are conducting a continuous and round-the-clock investigation into this case. With the help of this task force, we hope to get the perpetrators as soon as possible," Corvera said.

Police earlier said the killing could be the handiwork of drug syndicates since Villarante had exposed the activities of illegal pushers.

Several media organizations like the Batangas Newswriters Association, Police Regional Press Corps and the Camp Vicente Lim Press Corps have condemned the killing and urged all their members to join forces in fighting threats against press freedom.

"We will step up the fight not only for our press freedom but also for justice for our slain brothers in the profession," the media groups said in a joint statement.