Comendador forms group to probe cop chief’s killing

As the slain Senior Insp. Jonas Tahanlangit was laid to rest yesterday at a Barangay Talamban cemetery, the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7) also created a Special Investigation Task Group (SITG) for the early resolution of the killing of the Poro police chief.

Chief Supt. Patrocinio Comendador Jr., PRO-7 chief, said the group will be made up of members of the Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO), Regional Investigation and Detective Management Division (RIDMD), Regional Intelligence Division (RID), PNP Crime Laboratory, and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-7 (CIDG 7).

Comendador said the investigation is moving since they have identified the two suspects in the killing last week of Tahanlangit in San Francisco town, Camotes Islands in northern Cebu.

He said they have a strong case because other policemen, who were aboard the same boat with Tahanlangit before the ambush, recognized the suspects.

Comendador said they will file appropriate charges against these suspects soon. He added that the text messages of death threats in Tahanlangit’s cell phone may also be used as evidence against them.

Comendador said Tahanlangit knew that a drug group wanted to kill him.

“There were messages related to his killing. We can see that he was aware of the possible situation. Although the messages were not specific, but we are trying to concentrate on that angle, said the PRO-7 chief in Cebuano.

Comendador also said that they have yet to identify the mastermind in the killing especially since the gunmen were reportedly members of a gun-for-hire group.

Comendador said he will oversee the SITG while the CPPO chief, Senior Supt. Clifford Gairanod, will supervise the new task group.