Cagayan de Oro City Police Office spokesperson Chief Insp. Mardy Hortillosa shows a facial composite of a woman whom investigators think witnessed the Dec. 2, 2017 gun attack on Dr. Ricardo Rotoras, president of the University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines. Cocpo drew sharp criticisms for disseminating and asking the local media to spread the facial composite in the hope that investigators could locate her. The facial composite in this photo has been blurred by this paper so as not to endanger the life of the potential witness or anyone who resembles it. GSD File Photo by Nitz Arancon
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By NITZ ARANCON
Correspondent

A CAMP Alagar official expressed surprise over the Cagayan de Oro City Police Office’s move to circulate a facial composite of a potential witness to the assassination of University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines president Ricardo Rotoras.

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Supt. Lemuel Gonda, Camp Alagar spokesman, said it was his first time to hear reports about the police going public with the computer-generated sketch of a supposed witness.

Gonda did not say if he found anything wrong with the circulation of the facial composite but he added that he brought the matter to the attention of police regional director Chief Supt. Timoteo Pacleb.

“Atong hulatan unsa dayon ang iyang reaction,” he said.

Cocpo drew sharp criticisms from the group Karapatan. Its spokesperson, Cristina Palabay, said any woman who resembles it is now in danger.

Palabay called it “bad police work” even if Cocpo reasons out that going public with the facial composite would help authorities locate the potential witness.

“It is a classic example of the PNP’s penchant (for) endangering witnesses and complainants in a criminal case, which also compromises the whole case,” Palabay said.

Cocpo spokesman Chief Insp. Mardy Hortillosa, who released the facial composite for circulation, said the Special Investigation Task Group gave the go-signal and city police director Senior Supt. Roy Bahian gave him the permission to do that.

“Yes, he (Bahian) knew it. That is why the SITG (showed) it to the public,” said Hortillosa.

The SITG is composed of the National Bureau of Investigation, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, PNP Crime Labotatory, and the Anti-Cybercrime Group.

Hortillosa said the police decided to go public with it so that the general public can help them in identifying and locating the potential witness.

He said, “May danger talaga sa side ng witness but hindi naman ganoon ka-dangerous kasi hindi naman talaga basta-basta ma-identify ng suspect ang witness.”

Supt. Gonda meanwhile said even if investigators can locate the potential witness, she cannot be forced to testify in court.

“Kon mo-ingon siya (witness) nga ‘Wala ko makakita ana nga krimen.’ Wala ka’y mahimo ana,” Gonda said.

According to Hortillosa, the facial composite is based on the description given by a tipster who supposedly saw the witness see the assassination.

Karapatan legal counsel Maria Sol Taule said the information about a potential witness cannot be given credence.

“Aside from endangering the (potential) witness na sinasabi ng pulis, hearsay naman ang labas ng sasabihin ng witness to the witness na yan,” said Taule. (with reports from ben balce and cong corrales)

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