Blanco to be buried, suspects still unknown

CEBU, Philippines —  Ronda mayor Mariano Blanco III will be laid to rest today, but the question on who were the people behind his violent death remains unsolved.

Police Supt. Janette Rafter, Public Information Officer of Cebu Provincial Police Office, told The FREEMAN that, until now, the Special Investigation Task Group (SITG) Blanco is still on the process of eliminating the persons of interest that they have.

She admitted that the slow investigation is not only because of the witnesses who failed to describe the four men who barged in the municipal hall dawn of September 5, but also the absence of closed circuit television installed inside and around the area.

Blanco, who has been tagged by President Rodrigo Duterte as a narco-politician, has, at times, been sleeping in the municipal hall and has altered his daily routine.

Rafter clarified that they have not received a memorandum with regards to the pronouncement of PNP Chief Oscar Albayalde, who ordered the creation of a National Investigation Task Group to monitor on the development of the investigation made by the SITG involving deaths of local chief executives.

“Wala pa mi kabasa, wala pa mi nahatagan og specific, pero pronouncement na to ni chief PNP. Awaiting pa mi sa communication, unsay flow ani,” Rafter said.

Meanwhile, Rafter announced that the Ronda Police station will provide security on the burial of the slain mayor.

“There will be a maximum deployment considering they will also be added by force multipliers,” Rafter said.

Blanco was a distant relative of lawyer and Ronda vice mayor Jonnah John Ungab, who was killed in an ambush in Cebu City last February 19.

Cebu Provincial Police Office Director Manuel Abrugena had said that they are not discounting the relation of the death of the top two officials of Ronda, Cebu. — GAN (FREEMAN)