Case of slain Muslim head to be turned over to CIDG

By Dexter A. See 

BAGUIO CITY – The Baguio City Police Office is studying the possibility of turning over the case of Imam Bedejim Abdula, who was brutally murdered by a still unknown lone gunman here to the Cordillera office of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group to ensure a concentrated investigation on the high profile case.

City police director Col. Allen Rae F. Co said he sought permission of the Police Regional Office on the matter.

However, he said that the turnover of the murder case does not mean that BCPO investigators will stop doing their investigation considering that there is still a long way to go in ascertaining the suspect behind the broad daylight murder incident.

“We will still push through with our investigation of the case. The transfer of the investigation is just part of the established procedures on cases that are still unresolved for a period of six months,” Co stressed.

Under laws, investigation of cases that have reached six months or more can be turned over to the CIDG for further investigation after the said cases have achieved the so-called clod case status.

The police official asserted that CIDG is mandated to pursue the investigation of high profile cases with the assistance of concerned police units, thus, it is just proper for BCPO to turnover the investigation of the berutal murder case to the investigating agency to pursue the lead that could have been established.

He admitted that there is no definite lead yet on the identity of the suspect and the mastermind as well as the motive behind the brutal murder of one of the influential Muslim leaders in the city amidst their unrelenting and uncompromising efforts to pursue the case even with the creation of a special investigating task force.

On Dec. 6, 2018, Imam Abdulah was shot to death by a still unidentified gunman while he was on his way to his office along Kayang St. and that the suspect was able to immediately flee from the crime scene without being accosted by responding police operatives.

 Muslim and other religious leaders in Baguio and Benguet condemned the brutal murder incident that happened a few hundred meters away from the main headquarters of the BCPO.

Abdulah was a well-loved Muslim religious leader as he was able to bridge the gap between Muslims and Christians who are living in Baguio and Benguet through various cause-oriented activities.

Co claimed that with the CIDG playing the lead role in the investigation of the high profile case, the possible suspect and the motive of the brutal murder case could be established soon but the BCPO will continue to help in proving whatever needed assistance possible for the immediate resolution of the case considering that the CIDG can concentrate its ongoing investigation on the said case that has yet to be closed pursuant to standards of the Philippine National Police.