Promising lead in Kidapawan radio anchor murder, probers say

COTABATO CITY, Philippines — The Presidential Task Force on Media Security now have a “promising lead” that could put closure to Wednesday’s murder in Kidapawan City of radio commentator Eduardo Dizon, PTFoMS director Joel Egco said Satuday.

The 58-year-old Dizon was killed by gunmen on motorcycles while driving his car on his way home from a night program in the Brigada FM Station in Kidapawan City in North Cotabato province.

“We need the support of Kidapawan City’s media community to hasten the investigation and subsequent prosecution of the real culprits,” Egco told The STAR via mobile phone Saturday while inspecting the crime scene.

Egco and senior Region 12 officials discussed the intricacies of the case in a dialogue in Kidapawan City on Saturday morning before they visited together the wake of Dizon to talk to his wife, Madonna.

Egco said they have established that Dizon was indeed so critical of the controversial Kapa money market scheme in his commentaries over the Brigada FM station.

Police officials in North Cotabato province and intelligence agents of PRO-12 on Friday furnished reporters with a copy of a blotter obtained from the Kidapawan City police detailing how a blocktime endorser of Kapa threatened to harm Dizon and even challenged him to a gun duel over a paid radio program.

“We just have to give investigators enough time to finish their investigation on the incident,” Egco said.

He said agents of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group are also helping solve the case.

Egco said they are also looking into a possible connection between the fatal ambush of Dizon and the attack almost three weeks ago at the broadcast facility in General Santos City of Bombo Radyo, also critical of Kapa’s operation.

Gunmen on a pick-up truck that casually pulled over near the entrance to the Bombo Radyo building shot its glass door with pistols and immediately escaped.

President Rodrigo Duterte shut three weeks ago the operation of Kapa, now subject of judicial litigation by the National Bureau of Investigation, the Securities Exchange Commission and the Anti-Money Laundering Council.