A month after the ambush: Police have no suspects, ask for community’s help

CEBU, Philippines — A month after Ronda Vice Mayor and lawyer Jonnah John Ungab was ambushed, the police seem to be still facing a blank wall.

Senior Inspector Jonathan Taneo, chief of Homicide Section and spokesperson of Task Force Ungab, admitted that the investigators are faced with limited information and a wide array of possibilities.

He said though that they are still hopeful they can solve the case soon.

"Full gihapon ato effort kay ato gusto nga matagaan siya (ug) hustisya.  Naa lang ta gi-consider nga wide array (of) possibilities.  Di man nato mabasta-basta og discount ang mga possibilities," Taneo said.

He added that they have come to a point in the investigation where they need the immense cooperation of the community.

"Mangayo ta (ug assistance) sa kapublikohan sa investigation.  Mas maayo nga moduol sila kay naa man ta hotline," Taneo said.

Last February 19, Ungab, who was on board his Suzuki Kizashi sedan with his wife, Pearl, were waylaid and attacked shortly before noon along S. Osmena Street on their way out of the Qimonda IT Center at the North Reclamation Area.

Pearl was unhurt.

Few minutes Jonnah was ambushed, he represented his high-profile client, self-confessed drug lord Kerwin Espinosa, in the promulgation of the latter’s two cases.

The victim was rushed to the Chong Hua Hospital, but was declared dead not long after due to the gunshot wound to his left temple and upper jaw.

Police are still looking at three possible motives – politics, personal grudge and professional – although they could not determine which one weighs heavier.

A day after the incident, the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) formed the Task Force Ungab to investigate the case.

The team is composed of the Investigation and Detection Management Branch (IDMB), Mabolo police station, Homicide Section, and the City Intelligence Branch (CIB).

A witness had told the police that the gunman was wearing a red sweat shirt, white cargo shorts, and a surgical mask, while the driver of the getaway motorcycle was wearing a black jacket and a half-faced helmet.

On February 22, the police discovered that aside from the driver and gunman, another person who was wearing a black shirt and cargo shorts waylaid the victims inside the building and that he signaled the gunman to verify it was the lawyer's car, based on the closed circuit television (CCTV) camera.

By February 25, Ronda residents mourned and sent their vice mayor to his final resting place, with cries for justice from the family and friends during the eulogy.

Dismayed with how the investigation goes, the family urged the local government of Ronda to allocate P500,000 as reward money to witnesses that can pinpoint the assailants, however this had not been heard of.

On February 27, the PRO-7 leadership has directed the Regional Intelligence Division (RID) and the Regional Special Operations Group (RSOG) to help the task force.

But despite the efforts of the several units, the police so far obtained an account from a witness, a cartographic sketch, a red sweatshirt and a .45 caliber firearm from a gun-for-hire, who was killed during a police operation on February 22.

Earlier, Dante Betaganzo, an alleged gun-for-hire and accused of killing a police officer in Bohol, was being served a warrant of arrest when he attempted to shoot it out with policemen, which later resulted to his death.

Taneo said when they brought the red sweatshirt to Pearl, she confirmed that it was about 80 percent match to the clothes one of the assailants wore during the ambush.

The items  recovered from Betaganzo has been submitted to the Philippine National Police (PNP) Crime Laboratory last week for a forensic examination to cross-match with the evidence recovered from the site of the ambush.

Anytime this week, the results of the examination will be released.

"Waiting ta nga within this week mafast-track ang pag-gawas sa result sa cross-matching sa .45 nga believed mao gigamit nga pusil at the same time ang red sweatshirt para ma-clear nga ang tag-iya mao namatay sa Lapu-Lapu.  Hopeful ta ma-positive aron makahibaw ta kung kinsa involved aning tawhana," Taneo said. (FREEMAN)