The suspect in last year's killing of Judge Orlando Velasco in Bayawan City , Negros Oriental, has reportedly refused to cooperate with the police.

Provincial police director, Melvin Ramon Buenafe, however, said Gilbert Caballero's motive for the fatal shooting of Velasco was obviously for the money, being allegedly a gun-for-hire.

But, Buenafe admitted it was difficult for the police to pinpoint the brains and the real motive behind the killing of the judge as Caballero has chosen to keep silent.

Even if Caballero identifies later the person who hired him, it would still need corroborative statements from other people before the "mastermind" can actually be charged, Buenafe said.

He, however, said that the judge's death was job-related.

Velasco was gunned down by suspects riding a motorcycle in the evening of July 27, 2007, as he was returning home from a social function.

Velasco, who was still alive when brought to the hospital, managed to tell police investigators that he believed some people were after him because he was handling sensitive cases at the Regional Trial Court where he presided.

At least four witnesses have positively identified Caballero from a police line-up as the gunman in Velasco's slay.

Caballero, 35, was arrested with Robert Agbogaa on January 3 at a checkpoint in Sitio Busque, Barangay Nangka in Bayawan.

Both are allegedly members of the Ogabang gun-for-hire group operating in Negros , Zamboanga del Norte and Misamis.

Caballero and Agbogaa were charged with illegal possession of firearm and ammunition that were seized from them during the checkpoint headed by Bayawan police chief Roy Abella.

On Tuesday, the police also charged Caballero with murder before the Bayawan City prosecutor's office, Buenafe said.*JG

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