Police eye same group in Ouano, Gonzales murders

CEBU, Philippines - An official of the Mandaue City Police Office believes that the ambush of the late businessman Antonio Ouano in July and that of businesswoman Iris Marie Gonzales recently may have been done by the same group of “hired killers” because of the style in the execution.

Inspector Ramil Morpos, deputy chief of the Investigation and Detective Management Branch of the MCPO, said the style of which Ouano and Gonzales were killed is more or less the same.

Although he admitted that these are just suspicions and that they do not have evidence yet to back them up.

“Pareha lang og pamaagi pero dili ta maka-ingon sa pagkakaron nga mao na ba gyud ug wala pa ta’y gi-point,” Morpos said.

While the police suspect that Ouano’s killers and that of Gonzales may have come from the same group but the gunmen were not the same because their description did not match based on the testimonies of the witnesses.

He also admitted that they have yet to know the identities of the culprits. Morpos said they already coordinating with the Provincial Intelligence Branch of the Cebu Provincial Police Office to get a possible list of suspected guns-for-hire operating in the province.

“Aside sa province pirmi mi mo-coordinate sa Lapu-Lapu. Double time mi ani kay duha ka kaso namo ron ang wala pa ma-solve,” Morpos said.

Gonzales, 37, was shot dead by motorcycle-riding men while driving her gray Starex van last Friday evening in Mandaue City. She owned the Stockland International Furniture in Barangay Paknaan.

She died shortly at the Mandaue City District Hospital where she was taken due to a gunshot wound in her head.

MCPO chief Noel Gillamac earlier said Gonzales’ murder may be a case of mistaken identity. Gillamac said the killers target could have been her live-in partner Crisostomo Alcala, 39.

The police identified Alcala as a fixer operating at the Land Transportation Office in Mandaue City.

Gonzales had just picked up Alcala at the LTO and was heading to Argao town when they were ambushed at the intersection of Don Andres Soriano and Plaridel Streets. — (FREEMAN)