The police here have recovered the fake plate numbers used on the vehicle of the suspects in the murder of veteran broadcast journalist Mercedarius “Dindo” Generoso.
On Wednesday, by virtue of a search warrant issued by the court, the Strada pick-up truck was opened by a locksmith in the presence of City police personnel led by Sr. Master Sgt. Julito Deloria, special investigator Dr. Jess Cañete who heads the local Commission on Human Rights, and members of the media.
Found inside the vehicle were two plates marked as FAX 5801, the same as those that were used on a Strada pick-up truck that was captured in a CCTV footage on the day Generoso was murdered.
The video footage showed that the vehicle with the fake plates was parked on the road, from where the purported triggerman disembarked, and transferred to a motorcycle on stand-by, who then followed Generoso up to where he was shot in barangay Piapi.
Also recovered were the vehicle’s Official Receipt and Certificate of Registration issued in the name of Tomasino Aledro, alleged owner, personal belongings, a phone number purported to be that of a woman, a list of combinations for a numbers game, and a pair of conduction stickers marked B5 0500.
The Strada pick-up truck, which authorities had previously identified as registered under the name of Aledro, was found abandoned in a vacant lot in West Balabag in nearby Valencia town, days after Generoso was shot dead in broad daylight on Nov. 7.
The abandoned vehicle was sporting its original license plate, GAM 1959.
Negros Oriental Executive Judge Gerardo Paguio Jr. issued the search warrant which resulted in the recovery of additional evidence of the prosecution.
Aledro is among the four suspects who had been charged with murder, but whose whereabouts remain unknown to date, the police said.
The three others — Aledro’s brother-in-law Teddy Salaw, the alleged driver of the pick-up truck; retired policeman Glenn Corsame, the alleged motorcycle driver; and Police Cpl. Roger Rubio, the alleged triggerman — are now in police custody. (Juancho Gallarde)
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