Group formed to probe ex-PAO lawyer’s death

A Special Investigation Task Group (SITG) was created to investigate the death of a former Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) lawyer who was shot in Lanang, Davao City last Friday.

This developed as authorities have yet to identify the person behind the murder of lawyer Emmanuel Ledesma Acuña Jr. The latter was shot at a park- ing lot near SM Lanang Premier and died at Davao Doctor’s Hospital around 2 p.m. Sunday.

Davao City Police Office (DCPO) director Senior Supt. Vicente D. Danao Jr. said the task group headed by their office is composed of men from Davao City Deputy for Operations, Investigation and Detection Management Branch, Intelligence Group and Sasa Police Station, and Davao Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit.

He said the SITG will address the investigative requirements on the death of the victim including the identity and whereabouts of the gunman, motives and mastermind of the crime, and to provide concrete solution to the case.

The task group is looking into all possible motives of the crime, Danao said. He added that aside from the career of the victim, they are also investigating his love life, as Acu¤a’s relationship to one Joan Tan, and her ex-boyfriend, who is a businessman, for about 13 years, could have

something to do with the incident.

“There were reports that the relationship of the lady to her former boyfriend just ended last August when the victim started courting her. Well, it can be that the lady and the other guy are still in a relationship when the victim courted Tan. I am not saying the guy is the suspect. Hindi pa naman tapos ang imbestigasyon,” Danao said.

Danao, however, won’t give any detail when asked about the identity of the suspect. “Yes, may tinitingnan kami pero hindi na muna ako magbibigay ng pangalan not until we have already completed our investigation.”

PAO Davao regional director lawyer Francis Calatrava, in an interview with the SITG team on the professional background of the victim said that he worked as PAO lawyer in Davao Oriental for almost two years and had not handled sensitive cases.

According to Calatrava, the victim resigned from PAO 11 because he wants to take care of his parents and start a private practice while pursuing a real estate business. Calatrava also called on the police to solve the death of Acu¤a.

Danao, on the other hand, directed members of the task force to dig deeper in their investigation to solve the crime. ICT