CEBU - The National Bureau of Investigation believes that the killing of Assistant City Prosecutor Patrick Osorio was related to his work. This as the NBI has the impression that the shooting of Osorio last Tuesday was not a spontaneous act of violence, but premeditated.
NBI regional director Medardo De Lemos said that they are certain that the killing was planned because of the manner it was executed. According to De Lemos, the gunmen were riding a motorcycle and were wearing full-faced helmets to conceal their identity.
The circumstances drew the investigators into focusing on the job-related angle as motive of the killing.
De Lemos said they have already checked the inventory of cases handled by Osorio which were provided to them by Cebu City Prosecutor Nicolas Sellon and Regional State Prosecutor Fernando Gubalane during a meeting last Wednesday night.
De Lemos however refused to give details so as not to jeopardize their investigation.
But, despite the high possibility that it was job-related, De Lemos said he still wants to explore on the personal life of the prosecutor. De Lemos said they will leave no stone unturned in their investigation for the immediate solution of the case.
In fact, he said all the NBI resources and agents are being utilized to expedite the investigation.
The NBI joined in the investigation after receiving instruction from NBI director Nestor Mantaring, who was also ordered by Justice Secretary Raul Gonzales to help.
According to De Lemos, they are coordinating with the police and exchanging notes from time to time.
NBI investigators visited the crime scene yesterday in barangay Mambaling to interview possible witnesses.
A source said that the NBI have already secured two witnesses who saw the gunmen.
Task Force Osorio
The Cebu City Police Office created Task Force Osorio yesterday morning.
CCPO director Sr. Supt. Patrocinio Comendador, Jr., also the task force commander, said that this will help in the investigation.
The CCPO, being the lead agency, will be supported and by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, PNP Crime Laboratory-7, Regional Intelligence Division, Prosecutor’s Office, and the NBI.
Sr. Supt. Guillermo Lorenzo Eleazar, regional chief of CIDG-7, said that the said task force created is a welcome development.
Eleazar said that all their efforts will be concerted as this is their task in handling sensational and heinous crimes.
A daily case conference about the will be held.
Comendador said that they received vital information from the Prosecutor’s Office yesterday morning that will help the investigation.
The CCPO chief said that he has directed the Homicide Section and the medico–legal officer of PNP Crime laboratory to conduct an autopsy and look for a ballistics match of the ammunition used.
Dr. Nestor Sator, chief of PNP-7 Crime Laboratory, in a phone interview yesterday, said that no autopsy has been conducted yet to the body of fiscal Osorio.
For his part, Sr. Supt. Carmelo Valmoria, chief of Cebu Provincial Police Office, said that they are also coordinating with CCPO about the case of Osorio.
Valmoria said that as of this moment, Osorio’s family has not yet requested for police security.
Osorio, 36, was pronounced dead at 3:20 p.m. by his attending physician at the Perpetual Succour Hospital where he was transferred from the Miller Memorial Sanitarium Hospital where he was first rushed after the ambush.
Helmet Issue
Chief Supt. Ronald Roderos, director of Police Regional Office-7 suggested that local officials must come up with an ordinance on helmets.
“The helmet should not be tinted so that it will help in the identification of the person,” Roderos said.
The PRO-7 chief pointed out that the killing of Osorio will affect the Sinulog celebration. He said the ambush-slay of the fiscal was an isolated incident.—with Niña Chrismae G. Sumacot/NLQ (THE FREEMAN)