Investigators looking into the Aug. 5 murder of lawyer Archer Baldwin Martinez are focusing on two cases he was handling, which could provide the solution to the crime.
Sr. Supt. Rey Lyndon Lawas, provincial police director, revealed this Friday in a meeting with lawyers from the Integrated Bar of the Philippines. Lawas said they are looking into these cases because they believe, like everyone else, that the killing of Martinez was related to his work as a lawyer.
The Police official said they arrived at the two cases after combing through the files of Martinez. They first considered four cases, which was eventually narrowed down to two.
But Lawas said while they are considering only the evidence at hand, they are open to look into other angles should new information surface that would provide another motive for the crime.
During the meeting, Lawas also released to the lawyers and the media the cartographic sketch of the murderer taken from descriptions provided by witnesses.
The IBP has created Task Force Archer headed by lawyer Joel Obar, which would help the police in solving the murder.
Lawyer Herbert Timtim, a member of the IBP’s Task Force Archer, also challenged his fellow lawyers by saying that they should not simply throw back the case to the police. “This is everybody’s concern,” he said.
The City of Dumaguete, through its Peace and Order Council, also created a group called Task Force Archer during a meeting called by Mayor Manuel Sagarbarria last Monday. The City’s task force, Sagarbarria said, is a composite unit with representatives from the police, the NBI, the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, the City Legal Office and the City Council.
Also seen as a boost to the efforts to solve the Martinez murder is the appointment of P/Supt. Crisaleo Tolentino as the new Officer-in-Charge of the Dumaguete City Police Station. Lawas and Sagarbarria said that the foremost assignment of the new police chief is to solve the Martinez murder.
Martinez’ remains were interred Saturday afternoon.