Motorcycle-riding gunmen kill radio blocktimer Dindo Generoso around 7:30 a.m. on Thursday, November 7, in Barangay Piapi, Dumaguete City. | Photo courtesy of Negros Oriental Provincial Police Office
DUMAGUETE CITY, Negros Oriental — Two persons of interest, including a retired policeman, were arrested during a hot pursuit operation by the Dumaguete City Police Office (DCPO) on Thursday afternoon, November 7, 2019, less than 10 hours after the murder of a radio blocktimer in Dumaguete City.
The two men were identified based on the CCTV footage around near the area where Dindo Generoso, 67, a blocktime program anchorman at dyEM FM Bai Radio, was shot dead by two men riding in tandem on a motorcycle in Barangay Piapi here past 7 a.m. on Thursday.
Generoso succumbed to eight gunshot wounds in the head and body.
However, Police Colonel Julian Entoma, director of the Negros Oriental Provincial Police Office (NOPPO), refused to identify the suspects pending the arrest of the triggerman.
Entoma said the retired policeman, who was arrested at his residence in Barangay Banilad, Dumaguete City, was driver of the motorcycle.
The other person of interest who was arrested in Barangay Batinguel was the driver of the Mitsubishi Strada pick-up who allegedly acted as the “spotter.”
The driver was caught in possession of a .45 caliber pistol Norinco with eight live ammunition, Entoma revealed.
Entoma said that after the put together the CCTV footage in the area, it was learned that the triggerman was inside the pick-up parked at the boulevard a few kilometers from the crime scene.
Upon seeing the victim’s car approaching, the triggerman disembarked from the pick up and transferred to the motorcycle driven by the retired policeman.
Entoma added that the new pick up was traced based on the conduction sticker caught on the CCTV footage while the retired policeman was identified through the markings of the helmet seen in the footage.
“Ilang gipeke ang plate number sa pick-up pero wala nila mausab ang conduction sticker, (They faked the plate number of the pick up but they did not alter the conduction sticker),” Entoma said.
It was learned that the driver of the pick up is cooperating with the authorities.
However, Entoma said the retired policeman refused to issue any statement and wanted to wait for his lawyer.
But Entoma said they are now closer to identifying the triggerman.
“Naa na mi lig-ong ibidensya mo identify sa triggerman through sa conversation sa cellphone ug sa driver sa pick-up. Gikan siya alas kwartro sa kaadlawon gikan sa usa ka lugar padulong dinhi sa Dumaguete. Iyang gitext iuang distansya gikan sa Dumaguete (We now have strong evidence that will lead us to the identity of the triggerman based on the cellphone conversation he had with the pick up driver. He left at 4 a.m. from the place where he was coming from saying he was on his way to Dumaguete. He texted his distance to Dumaguete),” said Entoma. /elb