Job angle eyed in killing of municipal bookkeeper

MASBATE CITY—A municipal bookkeeper killed last week might have disclosed sensitive information that led to the filing of charges of dishonesty and grave misconduct in January against municipal officials of Esperanza, 130 kilometers south of this city, according to a police official.

Jesus Baguio, 59, who was shot dead in Barangay Tunga, Esperanza, on Oct. 5, was a relative of Evelyn Conag, who had filed cases against Mayor Mac John Seachon and members of the municipal council, said Inspector Rodrigo Lim, acting police chief of Esperanza.

Conag is running against Seachon’s mother, Editha, in the mayoral race, Lim said, but “there is slim chance that Baguio’s killing is election-related.” He said the land dispute angle was also being ruled out.

Police probers were studying if the killing could be related to Baguio’s job as bookkeeper and the information he might have revealed to people.

“Although he was a bookkeeper, he was not among those included in the charges filed by Conag,” Lim said. Baguio had been a permanent municipal employee and had no political affiliations, he added.

Lim said “the killing of Baguio could have been timed with the week of filing of certificates of candidacy so it would appear election-related.”

Seachon confirmed that he was being accused of dishonesty and grave misconduct in connection with the irregular disbursement of funds for the construction of an “executive building” in Esperanza. He said, however, that he and the other officials had already filed statements at the office of the Ombudsman and were confident of winning the case.

“The [Commission on Audit] personnel who personally came here to investigate the charges found out nothing anomalous,” the mayor said in a phone interview.

He said he had nothing against Baguio and the employee had even asked him to be a godfather to his daughter a month ago.