MANILA, Philippines — Authorities are looking into three to five persons of interest in the disappearance in Pasig of a businessman, his wife and their business partner who have been missing since July.
One of them is a man known only as Jeff, an entrepreneur, whom the victims met in Pasig on July 6, according to Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission executive director Gilbert Cruz.
Cruz refused to disclose Jeff’s complete identity since an investigation is still ongoing, saying PAOCC probers want to first communicate with him and get his side of the story.
“It’s not only him. We are looking at more, maybe three or five people,” Cruz told reporters.
Henry Angelo Pantollana, 39, his wife Margie, 38, and Richard Cadiz, 30, were last seen in a sport utility vehicle on July 6. They came from their residence in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig and went to Pasig for a business deal with Jeff.
Police said Jeff appeared uncooperative as he did not reply to a relative of the Pantollanas who asked him about the couple’s whereabouts.
“That’s the question. Bakit ayaw niya makipag-cooperate? May alam ba siya sa nangyari or ano ba yung totoong nangyari during the transaction?” Cruz said.
Apart from Jeff, another person of interest is a certain Jon, whom the victims were supposed to meet on the day they went missing.
Two other persons who are under investigation were the men who alighted from the couple’s Toyota Land Cruiser in front of a gasoline station in Dasmariñas City in Cavite, several hours after their relatives lost contact with them.