Llana buried as cops’ probe yields zilch

LEGAZPI CITY—Slain broadcaster Joey Llana was buried on Thursday with police remaining clueless on who ordered his murder and who executed the plot.

Hours before Llana’s burial, Chief Supt. Arnel Escobal, Bicol regional police chief, said at a news conference that investigators had been working to solve the murder case but knew only that at least three gunmen were involved.

Llana, 43, was gunned down on July 20 while leaving home at the village of Peñafrancia in Daraga town, Albay, for radio station dwZR where he had a block time program.

Police promise

Escobal said police were still waiting for results of ballistics tests to know if the guns used on Llana were used in other crimes.

Shells from 9 mm and .45-caliber bullets were recovered from the crime scene.

Escobal sought to assure Llana’s family, friends and media that Special Investigation Task Group Llana was working on the case.

The case was initially tagged as drug-related after a sling bag with white substances were found beside Llana’s body slumped inside his car.

Just ‘tawas’

The seven sachets with the white substance did not contain crystal meth as initially suspected, but “tawas,” or alum.

The funeral rites were joined by hundreds of friends and colleagues wearing white shirts with the name of Llana’s program, “Abante ang Krus” and the words “Justice for Joey Llana.”

Mourners walked about 2 kilometers to the Daraga cemetery.