PRO 7 forms task force; Quisumbing offers reward

The Police Regional Office (PRO) 7 has formed Task Force Sasing that will focus on the investigation of PO1 Mae Sasing’s death.

Mandaue City Mayor Gabriel Luis Quisumbing offered to give a reward to the individual who can give information that will lead to the arrest of the assailants.

He also vowed to provide support for the police’s operations so the case will be resolved.

“I want this case to be solved quickly and I want it done as efficiently as possible because for me, you know, when it comes to crimes like this, I’ll take it personally. I really feel personally insulted that these criminals thought that they could commit this crime in Mandaue City and get away with it. So, I told the police that not only will I offer a reward but we will also make funds available for the operation to make sure that we will be able to do this very quickly,” Quisumbing said.

Chief Insp. Mercy Villaro, spokesperson of the Mandaue City Police Office (MCPO), said that the creation of a task force for the slain police officer was recommended by PRO 7 Director Jose Espino.

“They decided to form a task force because it is really an insult on the part of the Philippine National Police that a lady police officer, in uniform, was easily killed,” Villaro said.

The task force’s members include, among others, the Regional Special Operations Group 7, Regional Anti- Cybercrime Office (RACO) 7, Lapu-Lapu Police Office (LCPO), Crime Laboratory 7, Consolacion Police Station and MCPO.

Followed

During the case conference last Thursday afternoon, Villaro said four closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera footages were shown.

“The footages showed that she (Sasing) was already being consistently followed by a pair riding in tandem from the new bridge up to the Pacific Mall,” she said said.

The motorcycle was the same vehicle that was spotted in another CCTV video in the crime scene.

Sasing, 31, was killed in Barangay Basak, Mandaue while she was on her way home to Consolacion last Tuesday evening.

Villaro said that the CCTV videos, which were sent to Camp Crame to be enhanced, will be sent back to Cebu tomorrow.

Personnel from RACO 7 are also checking the cellphone of Sasing to see if there were messages that could possibly be related to the shooting.

Quisumbing, in a separate interview, said he is satisfied with the investigation being conducted by the police.

The mayor believes that the police “will be able to close this case very shortly.”

MCPO earlier said that they have already identified two persons of interest in Sasing’s murder. /