Tagum Mayor Rellon puts up P1 M reward money vs. killers of young brgy. captain

sept 3, 2014
City officials in Tagum City condemned Monday the killing of Magugpo West barangay captain Niño Cutin who was shot dead while riding in his motorcycle on his way to his barangay hall last Saturday at around 11 A.M. by still unidentified riding-in-tandem gunmen.

City Mayor Allan Rellon convened an emergency meeting of City Peace and Order Council (CPOC) Monday morning at the Sangguniang Panglungsod Session Hall, and from a resolution unanimously approved by the body as moved by Councilor Tristan Royce Aala, he put up a P1-million reward money for those who could provide information leading to the capture of Cutin’s killers.

The body also made a resolution “strongly condemning the untimely death and assassination” of Cutin.

The two killers, riding on a motorcycle, followed Cutin and made fatal one shot at the victim’s head resulting to his death.

He was shot dead on the road of Purok Vipatil in Magugpo West, coming from Purok Talisay where he was launching his barangay activity giving free barber haircut and other services to constituents.

According to sources, Cutin went out from the activity supposedly to follow up the food for the barbers and volunteers being prepared at the nearby barangay hall.

As the attackers fled to unknown direction, Cutin with his motorcycle fell down on the road. Concerned onlookers brought him to the Davao Regional Hospital in Tagum City, where he was pronounced dead.

In the peace and order council meeting, the city’s barangay captains were all present to express unity for their fallen colleague. Provincial and city police officials as well as military officials from nearby camps and stations also attended.

During the meeting, Tagum PNP chief PSupt. Solomon de Castella apprised on the body on police investigation on the killing and on security measures being placed in the city.

Meanwhile, he bared that the police and CIDG have already a suspect in the killing of Barangay Mankilam kagawad and broadcaster Tata Butalid last December.

He said that they would soon file a case against the suspect he did not name and who remains still at large.

The body also approved a resolution giving P50,000 financial assistance to the bereaved family of Cutin, and another resolution asking the City Council to revisit the city’s helmit ordinance on the proposal to disallow complete covering of the faces of the driver and the passenger when in the city.

In an interview after the meeting, Mayor Rellon said that as of Monday the police had still “raw profile information” on the victim and the descriptive information of the attackers for analysis and pursuit by the regional and provincial police offices and the CIDG.

A Task Force Cutin was organized to pursue investigation and collar Cutin’s killers.

He said that per information he initially received there are many angles in the killing relating to Cutin’s performance of his function as a barangay captain that included his witnessing of a recent buy-bust operation that resulted to the arrest one drug pusher in his barangay, his being a Katarungang Pambarangay mediator in conflicts, “a political aspect” and yet “other possibilities.”

Although, he added, that the local PNP said that “there seems to a remote possibility in the buy-bust and those others mentioned” relating to Cutin’s official functions, “but it remains as an analysis.”

The mayor said he was certain that the regional and provincial police commands, the CIDG, NBI and other duly constituted authorities would do their own investigations and sew altogether pieces of various information gathered from probes.

Mayor Rellon also vouched for an incoming case against Butalid’s killer, saying he had seen the case documents including photos of the killer.

He said he has been exerting all efforts including organizing barangay action teams and tapping of the help of households in the villages as the last line defense to stop crimes in the city.

In the afternoon on the session of the City Council, several councilors took turns expressing great loss over the death of Cutin and in describing him as a good man and good barangay official.

Councilor Nicandro Suaybaguio, Jr. said that Cutin is a good kapitan who could have a good future in serving Tagum and a good friend too young to die.

Cutin was 32 years old at the time of his death.

Suaybaguio called for “more actions” of the part of city officials and chided the city chief of police for failure to act on the longstanding request of the City Council to provide them police statistics on the “extent of drug-related crimes and drug problem situation in the city.”

Cutin’s death sparked uproar and outrage among peace-loving Tagumenyos and online netizens who called authorities to arrest the killers and serve him justice. (Rural Urban News/Cha Monforte)