ZAMBOANGA CITY (MindaNews/10 March) – Police have claimed a breakthrough in the killing recently of a judge in the city with the arrest of the alleged hitman.
Senior Supt. Angelito Casimiro, officer-in-charge of the Zamboanga City Police Office, said Mohammad Alkhalidz Amisali was arrested along with two others in an anti-drug operation Sunday afternoon at Sunrise Driver, Barangay Talon-Talon, this city.
Casimiro said Amisali pulled the trigger on Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 14 Judge Reynerio Estacio, Sr., who was killed last Feb. 28.
He said witnesses positively identified Amisali in a police lineup Monday.
Estacio was driving his car on the way to court together with his wife when allegedly shot by Amisali last February 28 at Narra Drive, Barangay Tugbungan, this city.
Estacio was rushed to the hospital but was declared dead on arrival by the attending physician. His wife, Teresita, was left unharmed.
Casimiro said Amisali was one of the 11 people accused for a grenade throwing incident last October 10, 2012 that was being heard by Estacio.
The police official said he believed this was the reason why Amisali killed Estacio, although Amisali and two other suspects were released for insufficiency of evidence.
The main target of the grenade attack, a female hotelier, and her woman companion, were unscathed while a cigarette vendor and a jeepney passenger were wounded.
Casimiro said Estacio rejected during a court hearing last February 27 the petition for bail filed by the remaining eight accused.
Casimiro said one of the eight accused agreed to turn state’s witness during the same hearing which further strengthened the case against the suspects.
“The turn of events triggered the February 28 killing of Judge Estacio,” he explained.
He said the Special Investigation Task Group Estacio was continuing its investigation to identify the mastermind of the incident. (MindaNews)