Angeles mayor seeks additional P3-M reward for info on killers of poll officer

ANGELES CITY — Impatient over the progress of the probe of the killing of the polls deputy registrar here, Mayor Carmelo Lazatin has asked the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to allocate another P3 million to be used as reward money for anyone who can provide information on the identity of the killers.

This is in addition to the P1 million he allotted from his personal funds and another P1 million expected to be reserved by the local city council.

Lazatin has also asked the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to assist the local police in solving the murder of local Comelec deputy registrar Ponciano Palo who was shot in front of his co-employees last Oct. 24.

In his letter to Comelec Chairman Benjamin Abalos, Lazatin said that increasing the reward to a total of P5 million "would greatly help our city police in solving Mr. Palo’s killing which has brought unrest among our constituents and would deter future crimes against any Comelec personnel."

City police director Senior Superintendent Jimmy Restua said that new statements from witnesses indicate that the killing of Palo was politically motivated. He said Palo had once mentioned to his brother some difficulties he encountered in seeking venues for the revalidation and registration of voters in the city.

Comelec regional director Artemio Lambino, however, told The Star that Angeles City is not yet being considered an election hot spot though it is the only area in Central Luzon "where politics is getting hotter."