Civilians urged to help govt combat crimes
Credit to Author: Javier J. Ismael| Date: Wed, 15 Jan 2020 16:22:03 +0000
SEN. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go has arranged a meet-and-greet between President Rodrigo Duterte and the family of Mizzielle Jamyka “Myka” Cruz Gutierrez who was stabbed to death in February 2011.
During the brief meet up at Malacañan Palace on Tuesday, the President also released the P200,000-reward for the private informant who led police to the whereabouts of Kristoffer Von Moraleja, the prime suspect in the crime and considered to be Pasay City’s most wanted as he had been in hiding for eight years.
Moraleja, who was 19 when the crime happened, was accused of killing Gutierrez, his girlfriend, 21, at his home in Pasay City. Police served Moraleja his arrest warrant on January 6 at Barangay Alinbunbungan in Nagcarlan, Laguna and was taken to the Pasay City police headquarters on January 8.
After Moraleja was arrested, Go communicated with the President to ensure the prompt release of the reward so that possible informants of other crimes would be encouraged to contact the authorities.
Go urged the public to help authorities combat crimes during a radio interview on Saturday, January 11.
In the same interview, Go promised Gutierrez’s parents that he would take them to the President.
“Kapag nangako si Pangulo ay kanyang tutuparin ito. Ibibigay niya ang pabuya sa kung sino ‘yung tumulong at nagturo upang maaresto ang suspek (If the President promises, he fulfills it. He will give the reward to anyone who will help and provide information that will lead to the arrest of a suspect [in a crime]),” the Senator said.
He also recalled that Dante Jimenez, who headed the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC), before President Rodrigo Duterte appointed him chairman of the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission, introduced the victim’s parents to him in 2016.
“Sa maalala ko lang po, kampanya noon ni then Mayor Duterte at ating Pangulo ngayon…Inilapit po [ang kaso ni Myka] sa amin ng mag-asawang Gutierrez at nangako si Pangulong Duterte na kung sino po ang makakapagturo sa suspek na si Von Moraleja ay magbibigay po siya ng pabuya (As far as I can remember, then Mayor Duterte now our President was campaigning when the case [of Myka] was brought to us by the Gutierrez, and the President promised to give rewards to anybody who could provide information on the whereabouts of the suspect, Von Moraleja),” Go said.
The President added P200,000 to the rewards offered by the city mayors of Pasay, Parañaque and Muntinlupa.
In recognition of the efforts of Philippine National Police-Nagcarlan, led by Capt. Elvin John Tio, the President gave them P100,000 during the same occasion.
Jimenez also witnessed the release of the reward and thanked the President and Go “for not forgetting the promise” they made to the parents of Gutierrez. He also said the case against Moraleja “will be monitored by the VACC through its Court Watch System.”