By LITO RULONA
and JOEY NACALABAN
Correspondents .
A YEAR after the murder of University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines (USTP) president Ricardo Rotoros, the police have yet to build a case that could withstand cross-examination in court. Neither have they identified a mastermind nor determined the motive for the Dec. 2, 2017 murder in a gated subdivision in upper Carmen.
The victim’s brother Eldie said he and his family are not convinced that the police caught a man who was involved in the Dec. 2, 2017 gun attack.
Early this year, police arrested the alleged gunman, 33-year-old Johnreal Abel Gumanay of Zamboanga del Sur, in Makati City in connection with a murder case in Misamis Occidental.
According to the police, Gumanay spoke about a December 2017 hit in Cagayan de Oro when he was subjected to interrogation.
Camp Alagar spokesman Supt. Surki Sereñas said Gumanay was then brought to Cagayan de Oro where a witness identified him as a gunman in the Rotoras murder.
“We are not convinced anang ilang dinakpan nga mao gyud na siya,” said the elder Rotoras.
Sereñas said police were still in search for useful information that could lead them to the mastermind, and so they could establish the motive for the shooting death of Dr. Rotoras.
“Na-identify na ang suspect og napasakaan na sa kaso sa pagpatay sa korte… [But then] we were given an order to reopen the case because only the gunman was arrested, and not the mastermind,” he said.
Sereñas said Gumanay laid down conditions, like being turned into a state witness against the mastermind, but these were unacceptable.
“Gusto siya og trade-off. Gusto niya nganlan pero dili pwede nga dawaton nato ang iyang statement. Before mahimo ang usa ka condition as state witness dili siya mo-qualify kay siya mismo ang triggerman,” Sereñas said.
Sereñas said the police also had some problems with Rotoras’s widow Zarah Lyn because during a case conference, her lawyer said the case presented by the police was very weak.
“They wanted more evidence. The complainant is not convinced that the case would prosper. Arrested na ang alleged gunman and ready na ang case,” Sereñas said.
He said the police can file opt to file the case but without the participation of the primary complainant, the case would likely not prosper.
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