Suspect in slay try on radioman surrenders

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Philippines – The suspected gunman in the slay attempt on Bombo Radyo chief of reporters James Licuanan has yielded to police authorities in Jasaan, Misamis Oriental, police said.

Chief Inspector Rey Cemilla, Jasaan police director, said Baldomero Pajo surrendered after almost three months in hiding.

He said Pajo was turned over to Senior Superintendent Graciano Mijares, Misamis Oriental police director, on the same day.

Licuanan had picked out Pajo from a gallery of suspects showed to him by police and identified the latter as the man who shot him while he was on his way home after his program on Bombo Radyo on November 23.

Licuanan said Pajo was in the company of another man during the incident, which took place a few meters away from the Bombo Radyo station.

The broadcaster was hit on the abdomen and his buttocks and was rushed to a hospital, where he was tightly guarded by the police.

Senior Supt. Gerardo Rosales, city police director, said an arrest warrant was issued against Pajo earlier this January after frustrated murder charges had been filed against him.

In yielding to authorities, Rosales said Pajo reasoned out that he wanted to clear his name.

“Pajo said that he has nothing to do with the shooting of Bombo James Dacoycoy, the name used by Licuanan since he joined the broadcasting industry,” Rosales said.

Bombo Radyo station manager Celso Baldecir said they were happy with the surrender of the suspected gunman.

“Let’s allow the police do their job, we are happy now that Pajo is under custody although he is presumed innocent until proven guilty in court,” he said.

Baldecir said they were hoping that with Pajo’s arrest, the mastermind in the Licuanan slay try would now be unmasked and that the motive will be uncovered.

Licuanan is known to be hard-hitting radio commentator here, who spoke against several issues, including drug trafficking.

“What we have is the suspected gunman, the instrument used by the mastermind to carry out the [crime],” Baldecir said.

JB Deveza, safety officer of National Union of Journalists in the Philippines here, said he was hoping too that the mastermind in the Licuanan slay try would eventually be identified.

But Deveza pointed out that of the 150 cases of killings victimizing journalists, only 10 had been tried in court that resulted in conviction. He said out of the cases, only two masterminds had been identified.