Person of interest slips police operation
Police have identified someone who can reportedly shed light on the killing of lawyer Jonnah John Ungab but failed to locate the person during an operation in Cebu City yesterday.
Without going into details for security reasons, Senior Insp. Jonathan Taneo said getting to speak with this person of interest would be a “big leap” for the investigation.
The operation yesterday afternoon was meant to invite the person for questioning.
"As of now, person of interest to siya sa atong investigation gi-conduct. If ma-invite ni nato siya then ato ma-clear out iyang participation sa nahitabo. Then, mag-positive siya, it will make a big leap sa investigation," Taneo said.
He said information about the person surfaced during background investigation into guns-for-hire.
"Through careful investigation, mulutaw man ni siya nga personality mao na among i-operate supposed to be ganina pero continuing amo investigation… hopefully, mupositive and maka-forward ta," Taneo said.
He said yesterday's operation was carried out by Task Force Ungab and the Regional Special Operations Group (RSOG) as they were not discounting the possibility that the person of interest might be armed.
"Sa gi-conduct nga background investigation, amo gi-consider nga armed and dangerous siya maong careful ang pagconduct sa investigation. Naa possibility nga danger pud siya sa persons around niya," Taneo said.
Aside from this, it is also likely that assailants are monitoring the activities of the police, he said.
"Again, naa'y ingun ana nga possibility (nga gipangita siya) mao careful ta; di ta muhatag sa specifics, and wa nato gibalewala nga if makahibaw sila, muhawa sila" Taneo said.
Ungab was shot dead in his car on February 19 after pulling out of the Qimonda IT Center in Cebu City where he attended the promulgation of the cases he was handling, one of which involved controversial drug personality Kerwin Espinosa.
His wife, Pearl, was in the car with him but was spared from the bullets.
Footage from the closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera showed a suspect tailing the lawyer and signaling for the gunman to confirm the victim's vehicle.
Taneo said Ungab's family has turned over documents to investigators, including transcripts of the death threats Ungab received prior to the incident.
He said they are hoping that Ungab's mobile phone can be subjected to forensic examination to decode previous data, including pictures and text.
"Niduol na ang family, nagkaistorya mi… nihatag sila support if naa ba mi pangayuon, evidences or flow sa investigation… wala pa'y absolute time (on turning over the cellphone)… hopefully mahatag ang cellphone," Taneo said.