ROXAS City – Three people have been charged with murder for the death of Lawaan barangay captain Elvis Asis.
Police said they lodged the case against two identified suspects and a john doe at the City Prosecutor’s Office on May 3.
The charge was based on “technical evidences and sworn statements of witnesses,” said the city police.
One of the two identified suspects was believed to be the mastermind while the other was the alleged gunman.
A john doe – who police said drove the motorcycle the gunman boarded during the April 27 shooting – was charged as well.
Investigators were still trying to establish their identity.
The gunman and the driver fled toward Barangay Lanot after the shooting, security camera footage showed. The driver was wearing a helmet.
Superintendent Dante Tayco, city police chief, said they could not disclose the names of the identified suspects so as not to jeopardize the filing of a separate charge by Otel Casela.
Casela drove the motorcycle Asis boarded when the latter was gunned down at around 8 p.m. on April 27 on Kilometer 2, Barangay Lawaan. He sustained a gunshot wound on the arm.
Asis’ cellphone helped a lot in their investigation, Tayco said.
“May mga text messages nga sia ginapahog nga patyon,” he told Panay News. “Ang tawo nga nakabaton sang pagpamahog sa iya kabuhi masami wala naga-delete sang mga messages sa iya cellphone.”
“Madali naton nakilala ang isa sa mga suspects kay ang naga-angkas sa motorsiko wala naka-helmet,” he added.
Meanwhile the Capiz Police Provincial Office does not consider the death of Asis as an election-related incident.
This was not established in the investigation that a special police task group conducted on the shooting, said information officer Senior Police Officer 3 Donna Asmod./PN
