Mariveles, Bataan Mayor Jocelyn P. Castañeda announces P1-million reward for the arrest of the killers of her MIS chief. Photo by Ernie Esconde
MARIVELES, Bataan — Mayor Jocelyn P. Castañeda on Tuesday announced that they have put up a reward of P1 million for the arrest of the two gunmen and the mastermind in the gun slay of the head of the local government unit’s management information system.
The mayor also said that they have sought the help of the National Bureau of Investigation to dig deeper into the killing.
Castañeda said the reward money was raised by civic groups and concerned citizens who strongly condemned the murder last Thursday night of MIS chief Jonathan Dela Cruz, 35, of Barangay Mt. View, Mariveles.
Of the amount, P500,000 will go to the one whose information will lead to the arrest of the two killers while the other P500,000 to whoever can identify and cause the apprehension of the mastermind.
Dela Cruz was gunned down by two men riding a black motorcycle after alighting from his car at past 6 p.m. in front of his apartment in Sitio Polaris.
Report showed that the men in crash helmets first tried to abduct the victim but he resisted. One of the men then shot and hit Dela Cruz who was still able to run and entered a neighbor’s house where he fell and finished off by the gunmen.
Castañeda said that days before the incident, a reliable source had informed them that she and four others, Dela Cruz included, have death threats. She said that the source even especially mentioned Dela Cruz as being closely watched.
The mayor recalled that she talked with Dela Cruz and offered the service of a member of the municipal public safety office to accompany him in going home but the victim turned it down. She said she asked Dela Cruz to apply for a licensed gun but the same was rejected.
“Ang laging sagot ni Jonathan sa akin ay siguraduhin lang na mapapatay siya,” Castañeda said.
“Wala kaming alam na nakaaway niya dahil napakabuting tao, napakabait at talagang nag-iisang tao na kahit anong oras ay natatawagan ko. Kumbaga siya ang kanang kamay ko, alam na alam na mapipilayan ako,” the mayor added.
Castañeda said Dela Cruz was involved in all her programs for the municipality.
Lawyer Jose Michael Operario, municipal legal counsel, said they have written the NBI to help in the solution of the case.
“Pakiusap namin sa NBI palalimin ang imbestigasyon at magamit ang mga expert investigators dahil sa tingin namin ay mas malalim ito kaysa sa una naming inaasahan na ordinaryong riding-in-tandem lang ito,” the lawyer said.
“It turns out na mukhang mas malaki ito kaysa sa initial report na natanggap namin kaya kailangan ang tulong ng national agencies,” Operario added.
The mayor said they were not accusing anybody. “Hinahayaan natin na umusad ang imbestigasyon, gusto natin na mapanagot talaga ang may gawa nito. Sa ngayon, hindi pa siya nahuhuli pero binabagabag na siya ng konsensya niya,” she said.
“Ang pinakamensahe natin doon sa gumawa nito, doon sa inutusan at nag-utos ay sisiguraduhin naming mananagot kayo dahil hindi ninyo alam kung gaano kahalaga ang taong pinatay ninyo,” Castañeda vowed. “Maaaring magdulot ito ng takot sa lahat pero ang masisigurado namin ay hindi kami natatakot dahil alam naming wala kaming ginagawang masama, walang ginawa si Jonathan para ipapatay o patayin ninyo kaya rest assured na gagawin namin ang lahat para mahuli ang gumawa nito.”
“We will do our best for those malefactors to be prosecuted to the full extent of the law,” the mayor who is a lawyer concluded.
Meanwhile, acting provincial police director Col. Joel K. Tampis said he has directed his men to double their efforts for the early solution of the case.
