One of the suspects allegedly involved in the killing of broadcaster Dindo Generoso has surrendered to the police, a senior official in charge of media security announced today in a press conference in Malacañang Palace.
Presidential Task Force on Media Security Executive Director Undersecretary Joel Sy Egco told reporters that patrolman Roger Rubio, an active member of the Negros Oriental Mobile Force Company, turned himself in to his commanding officer on Wednesday at about 6pm. The surrender came after five tracker teams were deployed to seek out Rubio, whom authorities allege was the one who shot Generoso late last week in Dumaguete City.
Read: Radio announcer shot dead in Dumaguete City
Police Lt. Col. Wilfredo Alarcon Jr., the officer in charge of the Dumaguete City police station, said they believe Rubio was involved in the crime based on text messages he sent to Teddy Salaw, another suspect who was arrested last week.
“In that cellphone, we saw the conversation between him and Teddy Salaw and his messages were identified with the name ‘Roger Rubio, PNP,’ Alarcon said.
The police officer said there were no messages in which Rubio explicitly said that he had any plans of killing Generoso, but what they saw was enough for them to file charges against the suspect.
“[He said] ‘I will go there, I’ll see you, let’s see each other in this area, we’re still here’ in Bisaya,” Alarcon said.
Alarcon added that there were messages sent from Rubio about getting a new license plate, which the authorities believed was for the motorcycle that was used during Generoso’s killing.
“The number on the license plate [of the motorcycle] is different from the one on the bike’s conduction sticker,” Alarcon said.
The police are still investigating the reasons behind Generoso’s slaying. They believe that it could be connected to his work as a broadcaster and that he may have offended some people with his opinions. They are also studying the possibility that it was related to a land dispute or to politics.
Generoso was a so-called blocktimer on the radio station DYEM, and his show was produced by the Dumaguete City government as opposed to the station itself, according to Egco. His radio program often featured social development issues.
Another suspect behind his murder, Tomasino Aledro, remains at large. The Justice Department has issued a hold departure order against him. Aledro was linked to the case because he allegedly owns the pickup truck that Salaw used during the shooting, ABS-CBN News reported.
Another suspect, retired cop Glenn Corsame, was arrested by the Dumaguete police along with Salaw last week. Authorities believe that it was Corsame who drove the motorcycle from which Rubio shot into Generoso’s vehicle. Salaw, meanwhile, allegedly acted as a lookout from the pickup truck while the crime was committed.
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