Police form task group in councilor’s slay

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

 

BACOLOD City – The Negros Oriental Police Provincial Office (NORPPO) created a Special Investigation Task Group (SITG) to investigate the motive behind the killing of Sta. Catalina town Councilor Rhode Anthony Melodia.

The task group dubbed “SITG Melodia” headed by Colonel Bryant Demot, Norppo director, was formed after a case conference on January 11, 2021 where the Sta. Catalina Municipal Police Station presented the facts of the incident.

It was attended by Captain Darlene Catacutan, NORPPO’s legal officer, representatives from the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) – Negros Oriental, Provincial Crime Laboratory, Provincial Intelligence Unit, and Provincial Investigation and Detection Unit.

Melodia, 29, was gunned down by three unidentified perpetrators on board two motorcycles while he was having his car washed at the roadside of Purok 3, Barangay Poblacion. Police recovered from the scene four empty shells of .45 caliber.

The provincial police said that the SITG was officially formed to “profoundly supervise” the conduct of a deeper investigation and collection of pieces of information that will shed light to the possible identification of the suspects for the speedy solution of the case.