Gunman in slay of Surigao del Sur broadcaster identified

The Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFOMS) has identified the gunman in the murder of Surigao del Sur broadcaster Christopher Iban Lozada.

PTFOMS Executive Director Usec. Joel Sy Egco said a witness had pointed to Rolly Mahilum, former driver and aide of Bislig City Mayor Librado Navarro, as the gunman.

Egco said the witness positively identified the suspect on February 25 when the latter was going through photos of Lozada on a laptop of the slain broadcaster’s staffer.

“It turned out, that the photo is that of Rolly Mahilum. So our next step is that, we are going to file appropriate charges against Rolly Mahilum. We cannot give you the other details about out next steps because we don’t want to telegraph our punches to the other side,” Egco said in a Palace briefing on Monday.

Lozada, 29, a media practitioner for Prime Broadcasting Network was killed on October 24 last year while he was on his way home with his girlfriend, Honey Faith Toyco, who survived the attack.

Shortly before he was killed, Lozada posted on Facebook that he had been receiving death threats.

READ MORE: Radio broadcaster shot dead in Surigao

Egco said that on November 7, 2017, the PTFOMS “coordinated the implementation of two search warrants” at the residences of Mahilum and a certain Felixberto Villocino Jr., who was tagged as an alleged accomplice of Mahilum.

Superintendent Cesar Paday-os of the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) led the search operation, but was “curiously” relieved from his position a day after the warrants were implemented, Egco said.

Authorities also found that the gunmen’s alleged suspected getaway vehicle, a Toyota HiAce van with plate number SFJ 951, is supposedly owned by the Bislig City government.