Talisay cops favored ‘person of interest’?

The Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO) is verifying reports accusing Talisay City police of not conducting a hot pursuit operation against the person of interest (POI) in the killing of 33-year-old female lotto caretaker Mae Albasin on Tuesday.

Reports reaching the office of CPPO Director Senior Superintendent Eric Noble revealed that the POI, who turned out to be the victim's common-law husband, allegedly lends money to some policemen stationed in Talisay.

To recall, the city police did not initially reveal the identity of the person of interest when asked by The FREEMAN on Tuesday. It was the victim's mother, Remy Lungan, who identified him as Leo Zafra.

“Iimbestigahan natin yung mga police kung sino. Di naman pwede yun, kawawa yung mga biktima na ganun tayo (naghahanap) ng hustisya. Ang guidance ko palagi sa police natin, be professional. May mga comment na ganun, hindi maganda,” Noble said.

“I will call the attention of the chief of police,” he added.

Albasin was found dead on a street inside Camella Homes in Barangay Linao, Talisay City on Tuesday morning with gunshot wounds.

Among the angles being pursued by the police is love triangle, said Noble, although he clarified this is still being verified.

Superintendent Jason Villamater, chief of Talisay police, separately denied not conducting a follow-up operation, saying his men immediately went to Zafra's house on Tuesday after gathering initial information about him.

However, Zafra was not in his house at the time. The white sports utility vehicle allegedly used in dumping Albasin's body was also not sighted in the area.

Villamater has urged Zafra, described to be a “senior citizen” and a “businessman,” to visit the police station and clear his name.

“Pinapa-contact ko na siya kung pwede to clear and name niya kung talagang hindi siya yun (as what was seen on the CCTV footage),” he said.

CCTV footage showed that a white SUV (For Registration) allegedly owned by Zafra was seen stopping in the area where Albasin's body was found. An unidentified person opened the vehicle's door and appeared to have dropped something.

The problem is, it was unclear in the footage whether the person who “dropped something” was indeed Zafra. That's why police are still looking for other CCTV footages that may have captured the incident.

Nonetheless, if Zafra won't surface, police will consider him a suspect.

Police will also review past records since Albasin and Zafra have gone to the station several times allegedly because Albasin was maltreated by the latter.

On hearsays that Talisay police were favoring Zafra because of his influence as a loan shark, Villamater defended his men by saying policemen can go to many associations to borrow money.

Meanwhile, Albasin's mother appeared before the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI-7) yesterday morning to seek help.

The agency is now conducting a separate follow-up investigation led by NBI-7 Assistant Director Dominador Cimafranca.