Slay of mayor's bodyguard: CPPO optimistic in solving crime

CEBU, Philippines - The police are now on the process of coming up with the cartographic sketch of the assailants who shot dead the close in bodyguard Carmen town mayor Sonia Pua last Monday afternoon.

Cebu Provincial Police Office director Jesus Gaquing said they are optimistic that they could solve the crime as more witnesses surface to describe the suspects. Based on the description given by these witnesses, he added that “another law enforcement agency” will do the cartographic sketching.

“Dako gyud posibilidad nga ma solve ni kay daghan man ang witnesses maayo ta padayon ni sila og cooperate kay kami sad amo ning buhaton tanan para masulbad ning maong kaso,” Gaquing said.

Nonito Taoy, in his 60’s, a retired police, manager of a security agency owned by the Puas and bodyguard of Mayor Pua was killed in front of his office in Cogon West Carmen town yesterday afternoon by unidentified assailants.

Taoy suffered from multiple gunshot wounds in different parts of his body and died before reaching the nearest hospital.

So far, Gaqing said that there were three witnesses who came out and cooperated with the police in the investigation.

As of now, Gaquing said they could not yet say what is the real motive of the crime. But he said they are pursuing several angles including politics as the victim was working as the “right hand” of the mayor. The victim was also reportedly kidnapped by Pua’s rival during the past elections.

SPO1 Danilo Laurente, in an interview over DYSS Super Radyo, said that the assailants were on board two motorcycles, and the backriders were the ones who shot the victim several times.

Laurente said there were reports that Taoy still managed to fire back at his assailants, which they are still trying to confirm in their investigation.

Right after the incident, Gaquing also arrived in the crime scene and even helped during the conduct of hot pursuit operations.

Yesterday, Gaquing has instructed some police officers to go to the mountain barangays of Compostela after receiving reports that the gunmen were spotted there.

The police officers speculates that the motive of the crime is more on politics as the victim is a right hand of Mayor Pua of said town. – Gabriel C. Bonjoc/WAB   (FREEMAN NEWS)