Police identify person of interest in Capiz radio anchor shooting

By Jennifer P. Rendon

The Police Regional Office 6 has identified a person of interest in connection with the June 22 attempted killing of radio anchor Jay Lavapiez in Roxas City, Capiz.

Brig. Gen. Randulf Tuaño, the Western Visayas police chief, said investigators had developed a composite sketch of the gunman who fired at Lavapiez’s vehicle.

Tuaño did not disclose the person’s identity.

He said information gathered by investigators indicated that the gunman and the motorcycle driver were hired killers.

Tuaño said investigators were still working to establish the motive for the attack.

He said a work-related motive was highly probable, although investigators were also considering possible personal disputes.

Lavapiez, popularly known as Papang Jay, is a 48-year-old broadcaster and station manager of Baskog Radyo.

He escaped injury in the attack.

Lavapiez, a resident of Costa Verde subdivision in Barangay Cagay, was driving to the radio station at about 5:40 a.m. June 22 when he was attacked.

As he left the subdivision, a gunman who had gotten off a motorcycle fired at his Mitsubishi Adventure utility vehicle.

Police said at least two people were involved in the attack.

Four bullets fired from a 9 mm pistol struck the vehicle, but none hit Lavapiez.

Following the attack, PRO-6 formed a special investigation team to investigate the incident.

Col. Kim Legada, chief of the Regional Investigation and Detective Management Division, is supervising the investigation.

The team includes personnel from the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, Regional Anti-Cybercrime Unit 6, and the Capiz Police Provincial Office’s Provincial Investigation and Detective Management Unit.

Closed-circuit television footage showed that the gunman did not fire additional shots after Lavapiez’s vehicle hit a curb.

Investigators said the gunman might have believed Lavapiez was armed.

Lavapiez and his wife, fellow broadcaster India Lavapiez, also known as Mamang India, have gained both supporters and critics through their commentaries.

The couple has also faced several cyber libel complaints.

Lavapiez previously worked for Radio Mindanao Network Inc.’s DYVR-Roxas and served as station manager of DYRI RMN Iloilo.

The Presidential Task Force on Media Security condemned the attack and said it was coordinating with the Philippine National Police Media Security Vanguards in investigating the case.

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines also condemned the shooting and called for a swift investigation.