Cebu City Police Office director Sr. Supt. Patrocinio Comendador told reporters that someone with the same features of lawyer Richard Sison’s killer has been identified.
“We received information that somebody fits the description,” Comendador said but refused to give more details on the said man except that he is also a hired killer.
Sison was driving Wednesday morning his gray Toyota Hilux pickup with license plate GKP-376 along M.J. Cuenco Avenue near corner V. Sotto Street when one of two men onboard a motorcycle walked towards him and shot him at close range at least 14 times.
The suspect was described as about 20 to 30 years old, standing between 5’3” to 5’4” tall and “good-looking”.
Comendador also said the man is not an expert in using a submachine pistol as described by the witnesses and judging from the bullet holes on the vehicle of Sison.
Of the 14 bullets sprayed at Sison’s vehicle only six hit the victim while most of the bullets hit the vehicle and a nearby machine shop.
Task force Sison commander Supt. Pablo Labra earlier said there were witnesses who noticed the gunman was very “jumpy” when shooting at the vehicle.
Police also still believed that the shooting is job-related and they are now studying five or more high-profile cases handled by Sison for possible clues, one of these cases is said to be drug-related.
“We are more inclined to believe that the killing has something to do with his job as a lawyer, but we are not closing our doors to other angles to include the personal grudges,” Comendador said.
The police are also looking for the cellular phone of the victim, said to be with one of his associates, to scan its messages for possible information that might help in the investigation.
PNP chief Avelino Razon Jr. directed regional police director Ronald Roderos to intensify operations against criminals riding motorcycles following the killing of Sison.
“Ronald, intensify operations against motorcycle-riding criminals,” Razon said in his message to Roderos after he learning the shooting incident involving motorcycle riding criminals.
Roderos disseminated a memorandum yesterday to all field units in Central Visayas on police action against motorcycle riding criminals, telling them to establish checkpoints even during daytime especially against motorcycles.
Roderos said the police personnel who are manning these checkpoints must request the riders to open their seat compartments where the possible firearms or explosives can be hidden.
He also stressed out to enforce the “no plate-no travel policy” and to clamp, remove or confiscate motorcycles without plates.
Police are also checking if Sison’s killing had something to do with his representing Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Arturo Radaza in the ASEAN lampposts scam.
In a related development, the Sandiganbayan yesterday ordered the arrest of a director and eight officials of Department of Public Works and Highways and a businessman for graft charges in relation to alleged anomalies in the decorative lampposts.
The third division of the anti-graft court, chaired by Associate Justice Francisco Villaruz Jr., ordered the court sheriff to arrest DPWH Regional Director Robert Lala and nine others to face charges of violation of Republic Act 3019 (Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act).
Also ordered arrested were Gloria Dindin, former assistant director for Region XII; Marlina Alvizo, assistant director and chair of Bids and Awards Committee of the regional office; Pureza Fernandez, officer-in-charge of the Maintenance Division; Cresensio Bagolor, assistant chief of Maintenance Division; Agustinito Hermoso, Luis Galang, Restituto Diano, and Buenaventura Pajo, all members of the BAC; and Gerardo Surla, chairman of Gampik Construction and Development Inc.
The case being handled by the third division —the fifth in seven filed by the Office of the Ombudsman last month— concerns the supply and installation of 89 decorative lamps along W.O. Seno, C.D. Seno, Plaridel and J. Briones Sts. in Mandaue City.
The respondents were accused of graft for allegedly overpricing the lampposts at P50,000 each when it was found that each unit cost no more than P4,800. — Edwin Ian Melecio and Garry B. Lao with reports from the Philippine Star News Service/BRP