Police hits snag in investigation of Santos killing

CEBU, Philippines - Police yesterday admitted experiencing difficulty investigating the death of Antonio Santos who was killed reportedly because of his association with illegal number games operation in the region. 

Sr. Insp. Jul Mohammad Jamiri said many questions will remain unanswered if they cannot talk to Ariel “Bobong” Degamo, an inmate at the Cebu City Jail, who Santos visited the day before he was killed. Degamo, however, refused to speak with the authorities.

Still, Jamiri is optimistic they can get the needed information somewhere else.

“We can have other sources of information. Degamo’s statements would just be added,” he said.

Jamiri said they are reportedly not discounting the possibility that Degamo might be responsible for Santos’ death. Degamo was reportedly the last person Santos spoke to over the phone before he was shot a few hundred meters from the Cebu City Jail.

Santos was gun down inside his own car at a secluded area in Barangay Kalunasan.

Aside from Degamo, the police are trying to locate five possible suspects, which include the gunman and the masterminded.

Jamiri said they have the name of the suspected gunman who is reportedly already in hiding. He assured that the gunman, who is a native of Mindanao, is still in Cebu. 

Santos’ relatives have confirmed his illegal number operation in Cebu and in Negros. They, however, claimed that the victim have already stopped.

Santos’ family owns a famous resort in Biasong, Talisay City. — (FREEMAN)