BACOLOD CITY/MANILA – A police officer tagged as the gunman of radio broadcaster Dindo Generoso in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental last week surrendered to the authorities on Thursday, a week after the incident happened.
Police Col. Julian Entoma, Negros Oriental police director, confirmed yesterday that Police Corporal Roger Rubio surfaced before his commanding officer, Police Lt. Col. Judi Mar Bonilla, of the 2nd Provincial Mobile Force Company Thursday afternoon to clear his name.
Entoma said Rubio reportedly denied the accusations against him, claiming he was not involved in the killing of Generoso, a block-timer of dyEM 96.7 Bai Radio in Dumaguete City.
After Rubio surfaced to the authorities, he was immediately brought to Manila upon the order of Police Brig. Gen. Val de Leon, Central Visayas police director, Entoma said.
He, however, said that he has no idea about Rubio’s agenda in Manila since the discretion is now with the regional director. He also cannot tell if Rubio will meet President Duterte.
Rubio was tagged in the killing of Generoso after he was reportedly identified through a copy of closed circuit television camera installed near the crime scene.
He was allegedly identified as the gunman while his two alleged accomplices – Teddy Salaw and retired Police Corporal Glenn Corsame were arrested few hours after the shooting happened last Nov. 7.
Entoma said Rubio is still administratively restricted with his police duties after he went absent without official leave, a day after the killing happened.
Meanwhile, the government is committed to hold accountable those behind media violence following the surrender of Rubio, a Palace official said yesterday.
Presidential Task Force on Media Security executive director Joel Sy-Egco affirmed the government’s resolve as he presented Rubio during a press conference in Malacañang.
Egco identified Rubio as the alleged gunman in the murder of Generoso, saying the cop felt the “pressure” of the manhunt and surrendered to his commanding officer.
“We are pleased to announce that Rubio is now in government custody. Caving in to mounting pressure due to an intensified manhunt, Mr. Rubio, unfortunately an active personnel of the Negros Oriental ProvinciaL Mobile Force Company, gave himself up to his commanding officer, Lt. Col. Judi Mar de Leon, at around 6 p.m. of Nov. 13,” Egco said, reading a statement of Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar.
Rubio and three other suspects in the Generoso killing have been slapped with murder charges, he added.
Egco, an undersecretary of the Presidential Communications Operations Office, said filing of charges against the suspects “proves and solidifies the administration’s commitment to stamp out impunity against members of the media.”
“The administration, through the PCOO and the PTFoMS, shall continue to go after and hold accountable to the law these perpetrators of media killings and violence in the Philippines, regardless who or what they are, and how and why they did it,” he said.
Asked about the motive for the killing of the broadcaster, Egco said investigators are looking into the possibilities that the murder was related to work and or politics. “We’re still giving them the right to due process. But what is important is that the four of them have already been formally charged with murder,” he said.
De Leon assured that the alleged involvement of a policeman in the murder case was an “isolated” case. He added that Rubio, who was named the primary person of interest after being implicated in the police investigation, will have his day in court.
“I requested Usec. Egco to treat this with utmost ‘yung dignity namin,” he said, shortly after Rubio was briefly shown to the media.
Asked about the possible violation of a PNP policy against the presentation of a suspect to the media, De Leon explained that they merely presented the policeman to the PTFoMs for further investigation.
“Hindi natin pinresent, the Presidential Task Force on Media Security directed us to bring the living body of the surrendered person para po maimbestigahan nila personally, aside from the investigation being conducted by us,” he said. (Glazyl Masculino and Genalyn Kabiling)
