Task Force Archival: We’re on right track

The Special Investigation Task Group Archival is confident that they are on the right track in following some leads in the investigation on the ambushslay of lawyer Noel Archival and two of his staff more than three weeks ago.

Sr. Supt. Noel Gillamac, SITG head, said that their coordination with the National Bureau of Investigation and those people who provided them information are big help in the investigation.

But Gillamac admitted that they still have a problem in looking for witnesses who could directly pinpoint the gunmen.

“Sa pagkakaron, I can’t give percentage kung asa na mi but we have vital information that we need to pursue in order to identify the gunmen kay we are doing our best aron dunay solution ning kasuha,” he said.

Last week, a two-man team from the Federal Bureau of Investigation arrived in Cebu to look into the footages of the closed- circuit television camera taken from southern Cebu. The FBI is tasked to enhance the plate numbers of the vehicles believed to have boarded by the gunmen.

There was no result of the technical matters yet.

Meanwhile, Gillamac is willing to appear before the Cebu City Council as well as the Provincial Board to present their updates on the ambush- slay of Archival, except for vital information.

Gillamac said they are very much willing to appear and discuss information they gathered in their investigation but they could not disclose information that could hamper and compromise their operation.

“So far wala pa mi nadawat nga invitation and if naa man gani we are willing to appear except for information nga maka- hamper ug affect sa operation,” he said.

Archival and his two staffs were ambushed in Barangay Coro, Dalaguete town while on their way to Cebu City from a robbery case hearing in Dumaguete City.

Two Toyota vehicles were seen and now one of the subjects of the operation.

Archival and two of his staffs were killed while Paulo Cortez survived.

Meanwhile, Chief Supt. Danilo Constantino, Police Regional Office 7 director, told reporters that the SITG already has a lead in the investigation of the Archival slay case.

He said that he is only giving them guidance in the conduct of the investigation and if they have a lead it should be supported with evidence for the case to prosper in court.

He told reporters that if the SITG already has a place that they wanted to look into they should apply for a search warrant.

“Kung may lugar na sila na gustong i- search, ang advise ko sa kanila na to apply for an appropriate search warrant para covered ng legal order,” he said.

Constantino said that the SITG is eyeing on a group as a potential suspect so he reminded them that they should make sure that they are on the right direction.

He believes that the SITG is on its track in the conduct of the investigation of the Archival slay.

“Actually mayron silang sinasabing grupo, so I reminded them na let us make sure na tama ang ating direction,” he said.

He said that the investigation must be supported with evidence and testimonies of witnesses so that the case will have a great weight.

“It must be supported with evidence o testimonies of witnesses, mayron naman silang tinutumbok,” he said. Ria Mae Y. Booc, Bryner L. Diaz/JMD