Murder of Citom enforcer ‘work related’

THE gunslaying of a Cebu City traffic enforcer last Thursday appeared work-related.
A day before he was shot dead,  Armando Daligdig of the Cebu City Traffic Operations Management (Citom) had a confrontation on the road with his suspected killer over a traffic violation, possibly  over the man’s failure to wear a crash helmet.
This witness account is part of of the evidence in the murder charge filed yesterday against ex-policeman Geoffrey Borinaga.
Borinaga was also charged with illegal possession of drugs after a marijuana stick was found in his possession.
Borinaga remains in police custody for the June 6 fatal shooting.
Results of a paraffin test showed that Borinaga had recently fired a gun. He denied the charge, saying he was in Mandaue city when the shooting tok place Thursday afternoon.
Senior Supt. Mariano Natu-el Jr., acting Cebu City police chief, said police will continue to find more witnesses to bolster the charge against Borinaga, who was dismissed from the police force in 2010 after he was found positive of shabu use
“Borinaga had a habit of driving a motorbike without a safety helmet,” said Natu-el, who said this could have been the subject of the confrontation with the Citom enforcer.
Natu-el said the victim’s wife had also mentioned the clash to her a day before he was gunned down.
Daligdig was aggressive in his job .
Citom executive director Rafael Yap said Daligdig was a good performer and was awarded by the Cebu City government in October 2012 for having a high number of traffic apprehensions.
Yap said Daligdig had no record of being the subject of an administrative complaint.
He reported for work on time and dealt courteously with those he apprehended.
Yap said the enforcer made sure to explain well to a violator what traffic rules were not followed.
Yap confirmed that Citom forwarded the records of recent apprehensions made by Daligdig to the police homicide section for further investigation.
Daligdig was the second Citom enforcer killed in the line of duty since 2007 after Romeo Muñez was shot to death by an unidentified gunman at 7 a.m.
Muñez was waiting for a ride along A.C. Cortes Avenue, Looc, Mandaue City on his way to work when the he was murdered on April 2, 2007.
At the time, Citom head Artnel Tancino and the victim’s colleagues said they believe the killing was work-related.
Cebu City police chief Natu-el Jr. said Daligdig had told his wife and a police informant that he had a verbal confrontation with a traffic violator a day before his death.
Natu-el said Daligdig introduced himself as policeman during that encounter.
He said the police have four witnesses who saw t Borinaga shoot the traffic enforcer at Governor Cuenco Avenue, Cebu City.
Borinaga denied the charges, saying he was in Mandaue City when the incident took place. Correspondents Jhunnex Napallacan and Chito Aragon, Reporter Ador Mayol