Navarro ambush: NBI vows fair investigation

CEBU, Philippines — The National Bureau of Investigation-7 assured a “thorough, legal, and impartial” probe into the killing of Clarin Mayor David Navarro, as it announced the start of its investigation yesterday.

Atty. Antonio Pagatpat, NBI-7 deputy director for operations, said they will begin their investigation from scratch and will treat it as a “command case.” This means the regional office in Cebu will be assisted by its district offices in Dumaguete City and Bohol.

“And if there is a need for Manila to send additional agents to augment for assist, we will do so,” Pagatpat said.

No less than President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the NBI to take over the investigation from the police as the President raised suspicion that policemen were behind the ambush on Navarro last October 25.

Pagatpat said they will reenact the scenario despite the police having already done so on October 27.

NBI-7 Director Tomas Enrile said they have already received the case folder from the Cebu City Police Office last Tuesday.

Aside from the reenactment, he said they will look into Navarro’s history, especially that his sister, Princess, had disclosed to authorities that Navarro had received several death threats.

“We have to conduct a background investigation dito kay Mayor Navarro at ma-interview natin kung sino ba talaga ang mga naging kaaway o nakaalitan nito (We have to conduct a background investigation on Mayor Navarro and interviews so we will know who he had a conflict with),” Enrile said.

“Kasi hindi papatay ng tao kung walang dahilan. Hindi papatay ng tao kung walang mabigat na dahilan (No one will kill without reason. No one will kill without serious reason),” Enrile said.

Navarro succumbed to 12 gunshot wounds.

Enrile also said they will study the footage from closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera that was retrieved from the crime scene and call for questioning the policemen who escorted Navarro during the incident.

“Hindi naman nating pwedeng I kuan kasi wala naman tayong ebidensya (We cannot say for now that there was security lapse because we don’t have evidence yet),” Enrile said.

Cebu City Police Office Director Gemma Vinluan said earlier the CCPO is open to investigation.

She described as “wise wisdom” Duterte’s decision to let the NBI conduct the investigation.

“That is a very wise wisdom ng ating presidente na para mawala rin yung agam-agam ng iba na maaring ma-tainted sa credibility ng Cebu City Police Office (That’s very wise wisdom from our president to avoid insinuations that can taint the credibility of the Cebu City Police Office), Vinluan said.

“Of course, kung kami ang gagawa ng desisyon ng case, maaring isipin din ninyo na biased yan (Of course, if we will be the one to come up with findings, it is possible that you will say it’s biased),” she added.  JMO (FREEMAN)