Meet with witness, kin of slain Infanta mayor urged

MANILA, Philippines - A child rights' advocacy group on Wednesday said it is willing to arrange a meeting with the family of the slain Infanta mayor Ruperto Martinez and the 16-year-old boy who witnessed how the assassination was planned.

Akap Bata partylist spokesperon Gloria dela Cruz said they are willing to arrange a meeting between the family of the late mayor and a witness who claimed that the mayor's murder was masterminded by Pangasinan Gov. Amado Espino Jr., Rep. Jesus  Celeste and newspaper publisher Jaime Aquino.

"If the family of Mayor Martinez so wishes, we can ask the foster parent of the witness to allow the boy to talk to them so that they will know how the murder of Mayor Martinez was planned and carried out," Dela Cruz said.

The witness, a 16-year-old son of Aquino, told National Bureau of Investigation agents that he was present when Espino, Celeste and his father discussed the plan to kill Martinez during a meeting at El Pescador Beach in Bolinao, Pangasinan.

Martinez was killed by gunmen in front of his house December 15 last year.