Third suspect says Mindoro cop shot anticrime crusader

Colleagues and relatives of Zenaida Luz join the funeral procession for the anticrime crusader in the town of Gloria, Oriental Mindoro. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

SAN PEDRO CITY—Another suspect in the killing of Oriental Mindoro anticrime crusader Zenaida Luz sought police protection, saying he feared for his life.

Diego Magpantay of the Citizens Crime Watch (CCW) said his group would ask the government to place the suspect, who he did not identify, under the Witness Protection Program should he agree to testify against Senior Insp. Magdaleno Pimentel Jr. and Insp. Markson Almeranez, the police officers tagged in Luz’s killing.

Magpantay said the suspect claimed that he was one of the other pair of gunmen who escaped on a motorcycle after Luz was attacked in Gloria town in Oriental Mindoro last Oct. 9.

Responding Gloria policemen chased the other pair, who turned out to be Pimentel and Almeranez.

Magpantay said the suspect sought protection from the Gloria police this week.

Senior Insp. Ruel Lito Fronda, Gloria police chief, confirmed this information but withheld the person’s identity for security reasons.

He said the police were monitoring the security of the suspect, whom he described as a civilian, as he had yet to subscribe to an affidavit.

“(The suspect) said he was Pimentel’s man (who took part) in their (Pimentel’s group) antidrug operations,” Fronda said.

The suspect also told police that it was Pimentel who fired the shot that killed Luz, the regional chair of CCW in Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan).

This was, however, contrary to an account by a witness who said that Pimentel and Almeranez acted as lookouts or backup.

Findings from the police’s Scene of the Crime Operatives also showed that the bullet casings and slug recovered from the crime scene did not match the guns of Pimentel and Almeranez.

At the time of Luz’s killing, Pimentel was assigned in the Provincial Public Safety Company while Almeranez was police chief of Socorro town.

In January, the Supreme Court granted CCW’s petition to transfer the case and the detention of the police officers to Manila “to prevent a miscarriage of justice.”