Gunman in ex-reporter’s murder yields to police

COTABATO CITY — A man who claimed responsibility for the killing of a former TV reporter-turned human rights worker and “habal-habal” driver, surrendered to the police and to Mayor Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi on Monday.

Sayadi and Police Colonel James Gulmatico, chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) said the man, in his 30s, claimed he shot dead “habal-habal” (motorcycle for hire) driver Pio Orteza and Archad Ayao, former ABS-CBN local reporter, who worked as human rights investigator at the BARMM, at 6:10 p.m. on May 1.

Upon the man’s request, Gulmatico and Sayadi did not publicly name the suspect who surrendered to the authorities with a bothered conscience.

The man, also a “habal-habal” driver, claimed he had an altercation with Orteza earlier that day, which led him to use force to get back at him.

Orteza had Ayao as his passenger on a motorbike along Ramon Rabago Avenue, Cotabato City when a man on another motorbike opened fire at them. Orteza died on the spot while Ayao died in the hospital.

The suspect said his conscience had been bothering him so he decided to show up to face the consequences of his action. The suspect, in front of local reporters, also sought forgiveness from the victims’ families.

Gulmatico said the CIDG would file double murder charges against the suspect, now detained at CIDG-BARMM custodial facility.

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