Police task force for lawyer’s slay mulled

EXCEPT for the finding that three assailants carried out the attack, police investigators have yet to make a breakthrough in the investigation on the killing of lawyer Edeljulio Romero.

Sr. Supt. Canilo Fuentes, Capiz police chief, said police intelligence officers were mobilized to carry out the investigation but “they have not gathered information that could help them in identifying the suspects and their possible motive.”

Fuentes said that he is bent on solving Romero’s case that they requested the Police Regional Office (PRO)-6 to create a Special Investigation Task Group (SITG) Romero.

Supt. Dante Tayco, Roxas City police chief, confirmed sending the same request to the PRO-6 headquarters.

Fuentes said their aim for requesting an interim task force is form a dedicated team to do follow up investigations and to gather evidences which might be beyond Capiz PNP’s jurisdiction.

He is looking forward to have national support units such as the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) and the Regional Intelligence Office (RIO) to help them in the probe.

Fuentes said they would secure footages from closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras near the cafeteria at Culasi Port in Roxas City where Romero was gunned down around 12:40 p.m. of Sept. 28, 2018.

So far, no valuable information was gathered from Iris Tan, Romero’s live-in partner who was with him when the incident happened.

Meanwhile, Fuentes said they received reports that Romero’s sibling will take his remains back to Iloilo City.

The slain lawyer’s remains are still at Joel’s Funeral Homes in Barangay Lawa-an, Roxas City as of this writing, Tayco said.

Romero, who became prominent after defending alleged slain drug lord Melvin Odicta, Sr and other drug-personalities, was gunned down while having lunch at a cafeteria in Barangay Culasi, near the seaport terminal of Roxas City, Capiz.

One of the three suspects approached the 50-year-old Romero and poked a handgun at the back of his head.

The two other suspects served as lookouts. They then boarded a waiting gray AUV with no license plate.

A Maritime police officer tried to chase after the suspects but retreated after he could not find a back up.

Romero was brought to Roxas Memorial Provincial Hospital where he was declared dead on arrival.

On Sept 26, Romero arrived in Roxas City to attend the court hearing of his client, Stephen Teves of Panay town, the following day. Teves is also facing a drug-related case.

As to why he chose to get back to Manila via a passenger ship, investigators theorized that he might have wanted to follow patterns.

After the incident, Supt. John Bulalacao, PRO-6 chief, confirmed that Romero was considered as high value target (HVT) Level 3 drug personality.

He also enjoined possible eyewitness to share information that may help in the ongoing investigation.

CAREER

Romero disappeared from the public eye after the deaths of the Odicta couple.

He was reportedly staying in Manila while other reports indicated that he was in Palawan.

On Oct. 4, 2016, members of Molo Police Station conducted Oplan Katok at his house in Molo, Iloilo City.

He then turned over an M16 armalite rifle with 277 ammunitions and a caliber .45 IMBEL pistol with 28 ammunitions.

He also turned over Tan’s caliber .9mm (Taurus) pistol.

On January 2011, a grenade was also lobbed at Romero’s house. He initially thought it was just a pillbox but it turned to be an M203 grenade launcher.

The blast damaged the rear portion of his car and also punched a hole at a portion of his garage.

At that time, Romero said the suspects just wanted to threaten him.

He saw no other angle behind the incident other than work-related.

Romero tried his luck in politics and ran for city councilor in 2010 but lost.

SOURCE: The Daily Guardian

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