Suspects, motive still unknown
Almost two weeks after the ambush-slay of Ronda vice mayor and lawyer Jonnah John Ungab, police investigators are still working on a "wide array of possibilities" before singling out a motive.
Worse, field investigators are still clueless of the identity of the two persons of interest.
Senior Inspector Jonathan Taneo, spokesperson of Task Force Ungab, said that they are also convincing the witness to execute an affidavit.
"Medyo mahadlok siya sa iya security, naa siya sa usa ka vulnerable state sa iyang status. Mohatag siya narrative, pero duha-duha siya mo-execute affidavit," Taneo said.
He added that they are trying to at least check with the witness if they can make out a cartographic sketch of the gunman.
However, they are now checking on a list of alleged personalities involved in gun-for-hire activities, in the hope that the gunman would be among them.
"Background investigation and profiling sa atong mga alleged personalities involved in gunfor-hire activities kay atong gitan-aw nga gun-for-hire siya. Basin diha nato matrace ang identity sa gunman ug spotter," Taneo said.
At present, the police determined two persons of interest – the gunman and a spotter captured on a closedcircuit television (CCTV) camera.
He added that there is no "absolute conclusion" that there was a second spotter, since the video captured by the victim's wife was too brief.
Taneo said that, so far, they have received text reports on the hotline number they released, days ago, but would still be subject for confirmation before it will have any relevance to the development of the case.
He also said that the cellular phone which would have helped in the investigation is still with the family.
The family previously told reporters that they are keeping the cellphone, so as to safeguard "very sensitive" information, considering the victim's line of work.
Ungab was shot dead by two men on board a motorcycle after attending the promulgation of his client, self-confessed drug lord Kerwin Espinosa, in one of the courtrooms inside the palace of justice at Qimonda IT Center in the North Reclamation Area.
Ungab's wife, Pearl, was with him during the attack. She survived the attack.
Police are still looking at three possible motives: politics, profession, and personal.
Meanwhile, the new vice mayor and two new councilors of Ronda, Cebu took oath yesterday, according to Mayor Mariano Blanco.
First Councilor Rocky Gabatan is the new vice mayor. Gabatan is a member of the Liberal Party (LP) when he won as a councilor.
As mandated in the Local Government Code, the party of the official who left shall choose the new councilor.
In the sidelines of a public hearing yesterday, Blanco said that the LP picked Flordello Versoza. The mayor said that Versoza once ran for councilor, but lost.
In the barangay level, Angelina Villalon had taken oath as a new councilor in Barangay Ilaya. She has replaced former councilor Jay Ann Villalon Canete who had filed his resignation letter early this year. Canete has immigrated to Australia.
In a separate incident, Blanco said that the Sangguniang Bayan(SB) has summoned the municipal budget officer and treasurer to join today's session to shed light on the proposed resolution which will allocate a bounty for those who can provide valuable information on the perpetrators of the ambush.
Blanco said that if the SB will pass such resolution, he will not veto it not solely because of his blood ties with the late vice mayor but also because he will have to explain why he will bar a decision of the council.
Blanco, as the uncle of the late vice mayor, said that he leaves the major decision making to the immediate family of Ungab.
“Personally, giingon namo maghulat mi sa pamilya nga mo-initiate. Maayo na nga sila ang mosulti ninyo,” he told the media.
Both the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) have been vocal that Ungab's case is difficult and has sought the public's help to gather information.
“I won't pre-judge kung unsay lakaw sa ilang (PNP) imbestigasyon,” Blanco said.