By Felipe V. Celino
ROXAS CITY, Capiz – A P500,000 reward was raised in a bid to solve the murder of Pilar town administrator John S. Heredia.
Capiz Gov. Esteban Evan Nonoy Contreras first offered P100,000 which later ballooned to P500,000 following contributions from relatives, friends, and concerned citizens of Pilar.
Heredia, who was also a former broadcast journalist, was gunned down in front of a hardware store here two weeks ago.
Police Lt. Ricardo Jomuad Jr., Roxas City PNP chief, said the reward could be a big help in hastening the arrest of the suspects.
Jomuad said the Special Investigation Task Group has some “persons of interest” in the crime but they are still appealing to the public, particularly those who witnessed the crime, to come out and help the police.
“We assure you that whatever information that you give us will be confidential”, the police chief said.
Contreras announced the reward when he visited Heredia’s wake at Pangpang Bolo here.
Meanwhile, Atty. Criselda Azarcon-Heredia, wife of the slain municipal administrator, clarified that they are not active in the programs of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict as earlier reported.
Authorities have been looking into this angle as part of their investigation.
“We are not active with the programs of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict,” Atty. Heredia said.
Ginalyn Ponce Blancaflor, an alleged member of KADAMAY and resident of Brgy. Bolo, Roxas City, denied that she voluntarily surrendered to the Pilar Police Station on January 28, 2021 to signify her intention to avail of the local government’s program to end local armed conflict.
The two wanted to clarify the report as they might be red tagged by the military.
