Rama offers witness protection program for new witness on Tocmo’s murder under one condition
CEBU CITY, Philippines – Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama is willing to assist a certain Bianca Lee, who claims to have information that contradicts police findings in the murder of Reah Mae Tocmo, in enrolling in the state’s Witness Protection Program.
Rama, in an interview with lawyer Ruphil Bañoc’s Straight to the Point for dyHP, said the city government would like to help Bianca Lee under one condition. The newly surfaced witness must tell the truth.
“Standby with the truth and help us. Otherwise, we will look for you,” Rama said.
The mayor added that the city would not provide financial assistance to Bianca Lee, and even criticized reports about funds being crowdsourced to help her ‘as a witness’.
“Ignore. Ignore. Ignore… (Di ta dapat) masud sa bulsa,” he said.
(Ignore. Ignore. Ignore… (We should not) be placed inside their pocket.)
It has been nearly a month since police in Cebu City arrested Simeon Gabutero, Tocmo’s 22-year-old boyfriend, as the killer.
But various reports from several individuals claiming to be witnesses, often published on social media, have continued to surface.
Doubting Bianca Lee’s statements
Most recently, a netizen named Bianca Lee went to Facebook to claim that she had in possession of closed-circuit television footage (CCTV) that could implicate Jewel Smith, one of Tocmo’s closest friends, in the case.
Smith has previously denied any connection or knowledge about her friend’s death.
But investigators at the Labangon Police Station doubted the veracity of Lee’s statements, adding that they had strong evidence, including forensic results, to point Simeon Gabutero, Tocmo’s 22-year-old boyfriend, as the killer.
Nevertheless, they urged Bianca Lee to come forward to authorities.
Gabutero, on the other hand, stood by his statement — that he killed Tocmo out of jealousy.
He also said the police did not force him to execute an extra-judicial confession.
/bmjo
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