CEBU, Philippines — The National Bureau of Investigation has started a parallel investigation into the death of Ronda town Mayor Mariano Blanco III after the family requested the agency.
NBI-7 acting regional director Atty. Dominador Cimafranca said the family of the slain mayor made the formal request last week for them to assist in the investigation and the filing of charges against the perpetrators.
Cimafranca said they are now gathering evidence and have visited the crime scene to talk to possible witnesses. He, however, said that the investigation bureau will coordinate with the Special Investigation Task Group created by the Philippine National Police to look into the incident.
Cimafranca refused to answer questions from the media on whether they have already persons of interest. He only said that they are investigating and will gather security footages along the highway to help them identify the perpetrators.
He assured that the NBI will base its future action on the evidence that they will be able to gather.
“In the conduct of investigation we always followed our two pillar rules- legality and thoroughness,” Cimafranca said.
Police Regional Office-7 director Chief Supt. Debold Sinas welcome the family’s willingness to cooperate in the investigation. He said the case will not be solved with the police alone.
“If moasa lang sila sa pulis nga mura mi og magicians, di namo ni mabuhat, but at least a good sign nga we (will) have a good cooperation,” Sinas said.
Sinas said that the challenge now is finding witnesses and determine the motive. He, however, said that they have initially identified politics, personal grudge, and drugs as possible motives in the killing.
“I am very happy to that para ma-solve ang problema, we have so many challenges dito because naa siya sa city hall, so kinahanglan namo witnesses, kung unsa motive ana, lisud pud ra ba ang pag- investigate if wala sila (witnesses and family),” he said.
Blanco was shot dead by four unidentified gunmen inside his office at the municipal hall on September 5. The mayor had been staying in his office since he was named as narcopolitician by President Rodrigo Duterte in 2016.
The gunmen barged into the office of the mayor while the latter was asleep and murdered him in cold blood. Blanco was the second official of Ronda to be killed this year.
His nephew and vice mayor Jonah John Ungab was also killed in an ambush on February 19, 2018 at the North Reclamation Area in Cebu City. Ungab, who was the lawyer of alleged drug lord Kerwin Espinosa, was also tagged by the president as drug protector. — FPL (FREEMAN)