Sinas: Probe ‘deleted’ footages

CEBU, Philippines — Police Regional Office-7 Director Debold Sinas has ordered Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) Director Royina Garma to investigate why the footages of the dashboard camera in the vehicle of State Prosecutor Mary Ann Castro were allegedly gone.

Castro, an assistant city prosecutor at the Cebu City Prosecutor’s Office and detailed at the Office of the Provincial Prosecutor in Masbate City, was shot dead while driving her Nissan Juke last January 17, along Escario Street, Cebu City, by an unidentified assailant.

She was on her way home to Talisay City from a mall at the Cebu Business Park in Cebu City.

“Ang further information ana, we will ask the CD (referring to City Director Garma). Now katong claim sa anak tungod sa video (erased dashcam footage) I will let the investigator explain it, I’m sure naay explanation ato.”

“So I already directed them to talk directly sa anak. Pero until naa tay breakthrough, naay mag-identify kung kinsa to, the investigation is still ongoing. Lisod man na magpataka ka, basin naay madamay,” he said.

Annamhel Monique Castro Roa earlier complained that the footages of the dashcam of her mother’s vehicle for January 17 and the prior days were gone.

She said it was part of her mother’s routine to switch on her vehicle’s dashboard camera when driving.

The footages could have helped the authorities in solving the crime since the dashcam can record what is happening both in front and at the rear portion of the car, Roa added.

Investigation

Sinas disclosed that they have difficulties in their investigation since no one witnessed the incident.

Though they had secured closed-circuit television (CCTV) footages in the area, he said the faces of the assailants were not captured.

“Ang deperensya kay Mary Ann Castro is wala tay eyewitness. So we rely, we are waiting for additional people to inform us. Ikaduha, naa na diha ang mga scientific, gi connect-connect pero wala man mi nawong na mapakita kung kinsa nang tawhana na. So we are waiting for somebody to tell nga mao na siya, then we’ll conduct operation,” he said.

Sinas said the PNP are now in coordination with the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI)-7 that conducted a parallel investigation.

“I think the CD (City Director Garma) and director ng NBI had already made discussion.  Ang sabi ko, open up your investigation and share it, pareho naman tayong investigating body, and I think it’s okay. Sila pud they are making their own investigation separately but we share information,” he said.

Earlier, NBI-7 Assistant Regional Director Dominador Cimafranca said that they are still gathering evidence that would help them to identify the assailant of Castro. (FREEMAN)