CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (MindaNews/30 Nov) – A broadcaster in Ozamiz City is now in hot waters after Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) found evidence that indicate that the broadcaster “staged” his own ambuscade.
Last Nov. 9, Cosmi Maestrado, 42, an anchor for a commentary program “Ratsada” aired over dxOC in Ozamiz City, reported that unidentified suspects tried to ambush him while he was reporting to work around 4:30 a.m.
He claimed the suspects on board three motorcycles surrounded his car and tried to waylay him as he was traversing through Barangay Bacolod.
But police said Maestrado’s narration of the events were full of “substantial inconsistencies” when matched with the SOCO’s findings.
With this, Senior Supt. Leonilo Cabug, director of the Investigation and Detective Management Division (IDMD 10) based at Camp Vicente Alagar in this city, told reporters that he has ordered the Ozamiz City Police to file cases of perjury, alarm and scandal and illegal possession of firearm against Maestrado.
A police report on the alleged ambush stated that it was “staged because of the substantial inconsistencies in Maestrado’s narration,” that the car he was driving was not registered and he did not have a permit to carry his gun outside his house.
SOCO’s report states that all nine empty shells found at the scene of the crime did not match the caliber .45 caliber Maestrado submitted for investigation.
Police authorities said the gun Maestrado submitted is defective and that, based on their ballistic examination, the gun did not have traces of gun powder. This is contrary to Maestrado’s claim that he fired back seven times at the suspects.
The police suspects that the gun Maestrado submitted was different from the gun he actually used during the alleged ambush.
Based on their forensic investigation, the SOCO observed that the trajectories of the bullets do not support Maestrado’s claim that he was attacked by six persons.
“According to the description it was impossible he could not sustain even a single gunshot,” the SOCO report also said. (Cong B. Corrales / MindaNews)
