RPO3 chief defends reward for solving magistrate’s slay

P1 million bounty 

By Mar T. Supnad

CAMP OLIVAS, Pampanga — Chief Supt. Rudy Lacadin, Region 3 police director, said criticisms over the reported awarding of a P1-million bounty to the Bulacan Police Provincial Office for solving murder of Judge Wilfredo Nieves were misplaced saying  the reward was given to an informant of the provincial police office with no irregularity.

“As far as we are concerned, Judge Wilfredo Nieves’ case was already solved because we have identified those behind the ambush slaying of the judge, and have filed criminal charges based on the extra judicial confession of Arnel Janoras, one of the gunmen,” said Lacadin.

“The P1 million reward was not from Philippine National Police funds, and was given to an informant of Bulacan Police Office. We made it appear that it was received by Bulacan PPO so as not to expose the informant, lest we will put his life in jeopardy including his family, because of the notoriety of the suspects,” he added.

Earlier, three congressmen and the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) expressed doubt in the handling of the case since Janoras, whose testimony was key to the supposed identification of the mastermind in Nieves’ murder, was shot dead by his police escort for allegedly grabbing the latter’s gun two days after executing the extra-judicial confession.

Lacadin said the killing of Janoras is still under investigation and if police are found to have erred, charges will be filed against them.

The VACC has called on the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to conduct its own investigation into the Nieves killing.

Earlier, Rep. Samuel Pagdilao (ACT-CIS party-list), Carlos Zarate, (Bayan Muna) and Rodito Albano, Isabela, expressed doubt about the findings of the PNP who claimed to have resolved the killing of the judge.

The Association of Chiefs-of-Police of the Philippines, Inc. (ACPPI) in a statement, said it saw nothing irregular with the hand-over of P1-million reward by Lacadin to members of the Bulacan PPO in appreciation for their speedy solution of the killing of the Bulacan judge last year.