Murder charges were filed against two men yesterday before the City Prosecutors Office in Dumaguete City for the killing of lawyer Archer Baldwin Martinez last year.

Martinez was gunned down August 5, 2011 at his office in downtown Dumaguete.

Joel Obar of Task Force Archer identified one of those charged as Emmanuel Banaay, but the identity of another one believed to be the gunman remains unknown.

Obar said Banaay was identified by a parking attendant from the picture given to the police as the one who allegedly signalled the triggerman after the positive identification of Martinez.

Obar said there were two people involved, the one who identified Martinez and the one who pulled the trigger. “The act of one is the act of both, so they were charged with murder”, he added.

But he admitted it was difficult to identify the gunman and the mastermind who hired the suspects.

Supt. Crisaleo Tolentino, Dumaguete police chief, said they are investigating the possible connection of the gunman to certain individuals in the province.

Initial investigation showed that Banaay is a fixer at the Land Transportation Office in Cebu and may have connections in Negros Oriental, the police said.*JG

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