DZIQ: Key witness in radioman’s slay probed for murder cases

MANILA, Philippines – The principal witness in the killing of a radio commentator in Palawan is under investigation for several murder cases in Quezon province, a lawyer told Radyo Inquirer Wednesday.

Rodolfo Edrad alias “Junjun Bumar” is the only state witness in the murder of radio commentator Gerardo “Doc Gerry” Ortega.

But lawyer Ferdinand Topacio said he would ask Justice Secretary Leila de Lima to remove Edrad from the government’s Witness Protection Program because of his alleged involvement in several killings in which he was supposed to have used several aliases like “Romarico Perez” and “Marvin Chavez”.

Topacio is lawyer of one of the alleged victims of Edrad.

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) allowed Edrad to take his oath without checking the correct identity of the witness.

“Dahil sa siya ay under oath na wala siyang pending na kaso at ngayon ay napapatunayang may kaso, disqualified po siya under sa implementing rules ng witness protection act. (Because it has been proven that he has pending cases despite being put under oath, he is disqualified under the implementing rules of the Witness Protection Act.),” Topacio said in a phone interview.

Topacio said that Edrad admitted that he planned the murder of Ortega murder.