ILIGAN CITY -- The police announced a development in the investigation of the murder of the young municipal health officer who was shot last March 1 in Lanao del Norte.
Dreyfuss Perlas, a 31-year-old “doctor to the barrios” was fatally shot by gunmen as he was going home from a medical mission in the evening of March 1 in Poblacion Kapatagan town.
“Aduna nay artist sketch sa suspek nga mipatay kang Dr. Dreyfuss B. Perlas (We now have an artist sketch of the suspect who killed Dr. Dreyfuss B. Perlas),” Lanao del Norte Provincial Police Office Director Faro Antonio Olaguera said.
Olaguera said the witness confirmed the suspect via a “police gallery.”
He said they are still convincing the lone witness to execute an affidavit as the witness is reluctant to cooperate further out of fear for his life.
“But I'm positive nga makumbinsi siya (we can convince him). We can include him in the witness protection program, aside from giving him the reward money. Kung gusto siya nga mag-relocate (If he wants to be relocated), we can relocate him. Kung gusto siya magpabilin ra sa iyang lugar kung asa siya karon (If he wants to stay where he is), we can give him security,” Olaguera said.
The police director said they will release the artist sketch of the suspect when they file the case next week.
Olaguera said the police have not discounted the possible participation of Agapito Democer, a gun-for-hire, of the said crime.
Democer, also known as Darwin, was killed by authorities when they served him a warrant of arrest on March 4 for the crimes of murder and frustrated murder. The warrant was released on February 22.
“We cannot abandon the possibility of his (Democer) participation in the crime of Dr. Perlas kasi nga known gun-for-hire siya (since he’s a known gun-for-hire),” Olaguera said.
The Rebolusyonaryong Partido ng Manggagawa-Mindanao/Revolutionary People's Army (RPMM/RPA) had earlier issued a statement confirming Democer’s membership to the group.
The group denied the allegations that Democer was a gun-for-hire.
Democer, according to the RPMM/RPA, has not been participating in “un-revolutionary activities”.