The Quezon City Police District on Thursday released the facial composite illustration of one of the suspects in the fatal attack on Barangay Silangan chairman Crisell “Beng” Beltran, who was running for Congress.
Chief Supt. Joselito Esquivel Jr. said police investigators interviewed eyewitnesses who described one of the suspects and that resulted in a facial composite illustration.
READ: Poll violence: Congressional bet slain
In other developments:
• The Commission on Elections on Thursday expressed alarm over the spate of fatal attacks against candidates in midterm elections in May. Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said some 10 candidates had fallen prey to such attacks over the past five months.
• The Palace on Thursday condemned the recent killing of a leftist peace consultant and a village chief in Quezon City, urging the authorities to conduct a swift investigation on the incidents.
Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said the Palace was extending its sympathies to the families of National Democratic Front peace consultant Randy Malayao and Barangay Bagong Silangan captain Crisell Beltran.
READ: NDF consultant shot dead inside bus
“There can be no act of violence against anyone regardless of whether they agree with the government or not. We belong to the same ideology or religious belief. We will never tolerate any unlawful killing in this country,” Panelo told reporters.
• The Commission on Elections on Thursday released a final list of 63 senatorial candidates, which includes a former senator facing perpetual disqualification.
The list, which will be printed on the official ballots starting Feb. 7, was down from 76 following the removal of 13 names earlier considered as “nuisance” candidates.
The Comelec also gave 134 party-list groups the go-signal to participate in the May elections, with the leftist Bayan Muna
occupying the No. 1 slot on the ballot.
• The Commission on Elections warned it will disqualify the senatorial candidates who will defy the poll body’s call to pull down their billboards in time for the start of the campaign period on Feb. 12.
Jimenez said they will conduct “Operation Baklas” to remove the big billboards and posters put up either by the candidates’ supporters or their camps.
“We will not announce the schedule of our operation to see if any one of the national bets will comply with the poll body’s campaign rule,” he said.
Based on the description of one of the eyewitnesses, one of the suspects was described to be in his 40s, 5’4” to 5’5” tall, slim, fair complexioned, and black hair and wore long sleeves, a black jacket, and long pants.
Police are now reviewing other closed-circuit television recordings to help establish the identities of the suspects.
Esquivel has formed task group Beltran, led by deputy district director for operations Sr. Supt. Erson Digal, to lead the investigation.
He announced that the city government had raised the reward money from P3 million to P5 million.
