Cops rule out politics in Barili robbery-slay

CEBU, Philippines - The police are convinced that politics was not involved in the robbery that left former Barili vice mayor Luisito Ponseca wounded and his wife dead last Wednesday.

Barili police Chief Insp. Alexander Soledad said their investigation so far shows that the main motive of the incident is plain robbery, not politics as also believed considering that Luisito was a political entity.

Luisito, 45, was shot while his wife Gina, 40, was killed after two men robbed them just as they were about to enter the gate of their house in barangay Mantalongon, Barili, past 8 p.m. last Thursday.

The former mayor himself told the police officials that he also believes that the motive of the perpetrators is robbery and not politics because he has no intentions of running for office since he lost in the last 2004 elections.

They allegedly have no enemies in their place also, Luisito told the police.

However, Gaquing, in an interview with The FREEMAN, said that while the former mayor believes that the motive of the incident is pure robbery, he is also not definite about it.

Soledad said Luisito told them that the robbers took away over P400,000 from them. The money was placed inside a bag which was carried by his wife when the robbers attacked them.

The police official said they believe that if the robbers are not residents of Barili, the latter more possibly hail from the neighboring towns of Pinamungajan and Carcar.

They also do not discount the possibility that the robbery was an inside job, Soledad said.

He also said they will investigate all the employees of Luisito as part of their mandate even though the former mayor earlier said he trusts his employees.

The police believe that aside from the two robbers who attacked the victims, there might have been more who served as lookouts during the crime.

The couple was in their car coming home from Cebu City, they were just about to reach the gate of their house when two masked men on a motorcycle blocked their way and robbed them.

One of the robbers approached Gina and shot her without a word.

The police believe the robbers must have studied their movements especially their routine every Wednesday of withdrawing cash for their copra and livestock business.

The Provincial Intelligence Branch will cooperate with the Barili police station in the investigation on the shooting.

Sr. Supt. Jesus Gaquing, director of Cebu Provincial Police Office where PIB is based, said this yesterday after Barili police claimed they were having a hard time solving the case.

Gaquing’s decision for both police forces to conduct the joint operation was reached after a case conference with Soledad and PIB chief, Supt. Rodolfo Albotra the other night.

The police officials conducted the conference during a visit to Luisito at the hospital.

Soledad said they are having a hard time in their investigation because witnesses are not willing to testify on the incident.

Reports showed that there were more than two people who witnessed the incident but police believe they are just afraid to stand as witnesses.

Soledad added they sought help from the CPPO because they do not have enough personnel to conduct the investigation.

Meanwhile, police in Bogo have already invited yesterday a possible witness to the burglary incident last Wednesday dawn where two women were killed.

Beatriz Ocaba, 84, and her househelper Merlinda Olmares, 49, were found dead inside the house in barangay Cogon, Bogo, believed to have been killed by burglars between 2 to 3 a.m. and then ran off with P20,000 cash and assorted pieces of jewelry. — Niña G. Sumacot/BRP   (FREEMAN NEWS)