Investigators pursue two motives in Ka Victor slay

AFTER pursuing investigations following the 72-hour deadline given by Governor Erico Aumentado to the police and military and Provincial Peace and Order Council joint investigation team, Ssupt Arturo Evangelista said everything is still circumstantial though they are already focused on two leads. Last September 7, 2006, Bohol Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) provincial chair Victor Olayvar was slain in a daring early morning ambush in Barangay Cantubod, Danao. As the news of the slay spread, militant organizations and groups immediately issued statements pinpointing to the police and military as culprits, citing a national trend of political killings. Worried that the killing dents on the newly sealed Local Peace Forum agreements to commit to protecting life, the governor has intimated that he may call for the Melo Commission to help solve the case. This should prove if the government really has a hand in the killing or bring whoever did it to justice and plug on all forms of politically motivated violence.

During a press conference called September 12, Evangelista told the media that there have been attempts to muddle the investigations, presumably to throw off the investigators, but have so far narrowed two motives from which investigations will be directed. To this, the Bohol police provincial director called on more vigilant citizens to forward to him any other leads that could speed up the investigations. Evangelista, along with 302nd Brigade Commander Colonel Arthur Tabaquero and PPOC representatives officially presented cartographic sketches of the triggermen following accounts given by at least three witnesses. As the evidence builds up, the joint team has not seen the military or police link in the case. Instead, it has built on the evidences gathered from witness accounts and other volunteered information, which have been verified.

Olayvar' driver, one named Joselito Ayag, (not Julieto as previously reported) has issued an affidavit sworn by city prosecutor Adriano Montes revealed that Olayvar's trip that day was to account reports that the military recovered two M16 rifles and an ingram kept by their local members only named Ruel and Anic. Olayvar's recommendatory power on the case against the two youngsters could have triggered the ambush, the two knowing fully well that a surrendered fire-arm means death to the owners. Another angle the team is pursuing is of a vendetta, to which Evangelista did not yet elaborate pending investigations. The team has also confiscated a red krypton motorbike, one owned by Roldan Torres, accordingly one of the killers' get-away vehicles. Witnesses said the killers fled from the crime scene on board two motorcycles, one a red Yamaha Krypton with a broken tail-light and a black Yamaha DT, both without plate numbers. On another statement, Karapatan witnesses said the criminals fled on board a blue krypton.

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