Task force formed to conduct deeper probe of Constantino slay

A special task force was formed by the San Juan police Sunday to identify the gunman who shot dead bowling national team member 48-year-old Angelo Nathaniel Constantino.

Special Investigation Task Group Constantino (SITG-Constantino) will be headed by no less than San Juan police chief, Senior Supt. Dindo Reyes.

Its members will come from San Juan Police’s Investigation Department, Intelligence Unit, Warrant Section, Greenhill’s Police Community Precinct, and other key officers.

After the gun that was believed to be used in the killing was retrieved Saturday, Reyes said that fingerprints were found by the Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO).

“SOCO will check the PNP database if we have a record of the fingerprints found on the caliber .45 pistol,” he said.

Police are also trying to obtain a copy of the closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage of a building nearby a vacant lot where the assailant could have possibly passed by during his escape.

The police chief said the vacant lot, which is near the entrance/exit of the parking basement of E-Lanes Bowling Center, has no CCTV, and the only one that has one is the building adjacent to it.

“We are now coordinating with the management of the building to get a copy of their CCTV footage.”

The gunman entered the establishment at the parking basement of E-Lanes Bowling Center in Greenhills, San Juan and shot Constantino thrice in the head around 5 p.m. Friday.

The victim was having a snack when he was gunned down by the assailant who pulled out his gun from his sling bag.

After killing the victim, the gunman reportedly fired shots in the air and headed to the basement parking lot where he disposed of his gun by hiding it there.

Four spent shells were recovered at the crime scene.

Apparently, there was no guard at the basement parking lot of the establishment that explained how the assailant was able to enter and leave the premises quickly.

The San Juan police chief said that the suspect may have left the gun to avoid detection at police checkpoints.

Constantino is the general manager of the bowling center where he also coaches.

In 1992, he won the gold in the men’s singles event in the World Youth Championship held in Venezuela.

GUN BAN IMPLEMENTATION – Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman Sheriff Abas (left) joins Philippine National Police (PNP) Director General Oscar Albayalde (third from left) and National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) Chief Director Guillermo Eleazar (second from right) at the Eliptical Road in Quezon City, at dawn Sunday, on the first day of the implementation of the Comelec gun ban. (Manny Llanes)