Killing of Asst. Fiscal Osorio: New witness surfaces

CEBU - A new witness has surfaced that could hopefully help the police solve the killing of Assistant City Prosecutor Patrick Ian Osorio at Gochan Street in barangay Mambaling last January 6.

The new witness, according to the police, has given a somewhat different version of the incident from the two earlier witnesses.

Sr. Supt. Patrocinio Comendador, director of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO), said that the new witness was closer to the scene of the crime and had a clearer view of the two assailants.

The new witness reportedly was in his own vehicle when Osorio was ambushed and was about seven meters away from the vehicle of the slain fiscal.

He said that the gunman got down from the red motorcycle and raised the visor of his helmet before shooting Osorio.

The witness also said that the driver of the motorcycle also got down and appeared like he was trying to look around the area.

Comendador is hopeful that this new witness can make out the face of the gunman.

This new witness also said that it was the gunman who wore a red shirt while the driver wore black and not the other way around as earlier reported. Both were not wearing short pants and only one wore a yellow helmet.

“We are now having another cartographic sketch based on these descriptions told by the witness,” Comendador said.

The police chief added that this new witness was closer to the scene than the two tricycle for hire or trisikad drivers, who helped the police come up with an initial sketch.

Osorio reportedly approached one of the trisikad drivers for help after he was hit twice in the stomach, but this driver did not budge and it was only after a policeman came that the fiscal was rushed to the hospital.

Comendador said that Homicide Section chief Sr. Insp. Mario Monilar and Deputy Director for Operations Supt. Pablo Labra II have reviewed the cases handled by Osorio to find any leads.

“This is now some sort of different angle we are pursuing different from the past,” Comendador said.

With this progress in terms of investigation, Comendador said that it still could not stand up as no one has seen the faces of the criminals which were covered by their helmets.

The CCPO chief said he hopes more witnesses would come out to help them crack this case. — Niña Chrismae G. Sumacot/NLQ   (THE FREEMAN)