Ex-gov eyed as key to solving Palawan broadcaster's slay

A former provincial governor may hold the key to solving the killing of a Palawan broadcaster last month after one of the suspects was found to have worked as his bodyguard. Radio dzBB reported on Tuesday that investigators hope to ask former Marinduque Governor Jose Antonio Carreon about the activities of his former bodyguard Rodolfo Edrad Jr. Edrad was tagged as the person with the alias "Jun-Jun Bomar" who allegedly contracted the services of lookout Dennis Aranas and gunman Marlon de Camata to kill broadcaster Gerardo "Gerry" Ortega. Ortega was gunned down in Puerto Princesa City on January 24 after finishing his radio program. The police arrested De Camata shortly after the shooting. Aranas, on the other hand, was arrested last weekend. De Camata and Aranas pointed to Edrad as the one who recruited them. The dzBB report said Edrad's personal data sheet showed that he was hired on January 19, 2009 by the Marinduque provincial government as the bodyguard of then-governor Carreon. The investigators said they may ask Carreon for details on what he knows about Edrad's activities. Other than that, the police admitted that they are still facing a dead end on finding the mastermind of the killing. Puerto Princesa City police chief Senior Superintendent Rolando Amurao said De Camata and Aranas identified Edrad as the man who contracted them but claimed that they had no clue on who ordered Ortega's killing. "Hindi pa po natin matutukoy ang mastermind kasi itong dalawang nahuli na natin, ang alam nila hanggang doon lang sa certain Bomar. Ang lumampas kay Bomar, hindi nila kilala, hanggang doon lang sila, kay a certain Bomar, itong Rodolfo Edrad ang tunay niyang pangalan," Amurao said in an interview on dzRH radio Monday. (The suspects in our custody were approached by one Bomar, but they do not know who Bomar takes orders from. Bomar's real name is Rodolfo Edrad.) Aranas and De Camata were charged along with Armando Noel Loria a.k.a. Jun-Jun Salbakuta a.k.a. Jun Loria; Edrad, and lawyer Romeo Seratubias. Seratubias was said to be the owner of the firearm used in the killing. The police said the firearm was sold on January 15 to a certain "Valicias," who sold it to one Nonoy Regalado. He said Edrad and Deloria approached him and Aranas in Quezon province about killing Ortega. De Camata admitted having been offered P150,000 for the job and tagged Aranas as his companion in carrying out the murder. De Camata told the police that while we was offered P150,000, he was only paid P20,000 so far. – VVP, GMANews.TV