Home | To bottom

Philippine National Police declares Omaois case solved

Journalists urge further investigation

BAGUIO CITY (Jan. 5.) — The Philippine National Police (PNP) of the Cordillera announced in a press conference this week that the murder of Kalinga journalist Stephen Bas-ong Omaois was already solved as one of the killers confessed the gruesome killing while another was allegedly arrested.

Journalists however, are still urging the police to investigate deeper since Omaois admitted receiving death threats and has been under surveillance before his death on November 26 last year in Tabuk.

The PNP Cordillera stated that the “early solution” of the case came with the confession of one of the killers who is a 16-year old highschool student. The PNP claimed that the confessant’s statements were allegedly corroborated by other evidence gathered by police investigators.

Superintendent James O. Dogao, Kalinga police director, reported to PNP Cordillera Chief Superintendent Jesus A. Verzosa that six youth suspect are the culprits of the killing. He reported based on the confession that in the evening November 26, 2003 the suspects had a drinking spree at the Bagageo Videoke bar in Tabuk and agreed to “kill anybody they first met.”

The confessant narrated that his five companions met Omaois along the road where they proceeded to a forested area near the Tabuk National High School (TNHS) where Omaois allegedly “offered to have a sex with them.” It is not clear from the report and the confessant whether force was employed in bringing Omaois in the area given their intention to “kill anybody they first met.”

The confessant alleged that a change of mind of the victim to have “sex” in another place while drinking wine offended Reynante Padrigo, one of the suspects, which led him (Padrigo) to hit the victim’s head with a stone.

According to the 16-year old, Omaois struggled against the suspects at this point. Post mortem reports allegedly support this claim.

The five left Omaois in the area lying face down and quickly proceeded to the confessant’s residence in Poblacion West, Tabuk, where they asked for a change of clothes. Afterwards, the six, now with the confessant for the first time, returned to the crime scene to look for Padrigo’s wristwatch where they found the victim still breathing. They all took turns in hitting the victim’s head with stones until they believed he was dead. The confessant added in the interview that they also punctured Omaois’ body with barbeque sticks.

The suspects covered Omaois body with leaves before they left, the report added.

Dogao claimed that the confessant has been under their custody since December 20, 2003 in relation with the killing of an elderly woman in Tabuk. It is from custody that the confessant admitted his participation in the Omaois killing.

Dogao also said that a sister of the confessant admitted washing the bloodied clothes.

Investigation urged

Journalists who have been monitoring the development of the Omaois murder urged the PNP Cordillera and Kalinga to conduct further investigation.

“Omaois has been receiving threats and was under surveillance by unknown people before his death,” claims Alfred Dizon, publisher of the Northern Philippine Times where Omaois was a correspondent from June to November last year. Omaois was a reporter of the Guru Press, a local paper based in Tabuk five months before his death.

With these threats prior to his his death, deeper investigation of the case is only appropriate, said by Junjun Dumlao, a correspondent of the Philippine Star and chairman of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) Baguio-Benguet chapter. The NUJP has been calling for the immediate dispensation of justice for the killing of Omaois and other journalists in the country.

Meanwhile, Dogao claimed that a warrant of arrest had been issued by a Tabuk municipal trial court based on the confession for the arrest of the other Omaois killers. He claimed that the case was already filed in court. # Arthur L. Allad-iw for NORDIS

Home | Back to top