NBI steps up hunt for Nicole’s killer

MANILA, Philippines - The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has intensified the hunt for the person who fired the gun that killed seven-year-old Stephanie Nicole Ella during the New Year’s Eve revelry in Caloocan City.

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said yesterday that she expected the NBI to find the killer faster after Malacañang offered a P2-million reward for any information leading to the arrest of the suspect.

The reward total now stands at P2.4 million.

Caloocan City Mayor Enrico Echiverri earlier offered P200,000 for
information to solve the case.

Mayor Sherwin Gatchalian of Valenzuela City added P200,000 more.

“The suspect is being hunted down in the area. This reward money will be a big help to the manhunt operations,” De Lima said.

She said the bureau already has the name of the male suspect who was identified by eyewitness, but she refused to give other details.

De Lima believes that the NBI’s suspect is different from the suspects earlier identified by the police.

“We are most probably looking at the right person. We’re sure this suspect fired the gun and that his distance from the location of Nicole was really within the effective range of the fatal shot,” she stressed.

De Lima said NBI probers also have circumstantial evidence to link their suspect to the killing.

However, she admitted that investigators still have to look for solid evidence, especially the .45 caliber pistol used by the suspect.

“We need to connect him to the firearm and the firearm to the slug so we can have an airtight case,” she explained.

Nicole was watching fireworks outside their house on San Lorenzo Ruiz Street, Barangay 185 in Malaria when she was hit in the head by a stray bullet from a .45 caliber pistol. She died in hospital two days later.

She was buried last Saturday at the Sanctuario de Paz in Norzagaray, Bulacan, with her family and friends appealing for help in their quest for justice.

Caloocan City police spokesman Superintendent Jackie Candelario yesterday said investigators appealed for help from witnesses to resolve Nicole’s case.

Marvin Ella, older brother of Nicole’s father Aquilino Ella Jr., said that the family welcomed the additional P2-million reward offered by President Aquino to speed up the arrest of the real suspect.

“Our family is thanking the President for helping us resolve Nicole’s death but we would also like to appeal to the authorities to be more careful in conducting their investigation, for we know the color of money,” he said.

“We continue to conduct relentless investigation into the case and the additional reward offered by the President would hasten our investigation,” Candelario said.

The police have questioned five neighbors of Nicole.

Army reservist Juan Agus and his three friends, all neighbors of the victim, were taken in for questioning after they admitted firing a .45 caliber pistol to welcome the New Year.

But ballistic test of recovered slugs and the one taken from Nicole’s head did not match the gun of Agus.

The four were only charged with alarm and scandal and are out on bail.

Another suspect Grene Da, a 62-year-old neighbor of the Ellas, was also questioned after a search of his house resulted in the seizure of a licensed 9 mm pistol with bullets, a slug and six more bullets for a .45 caliber pistol.

Da, a painter, was charged with illegal possession of ammunition while result of the cross matching of the slug recovered at his house is yet to be released.

The Caloocan police released Da yesterday upon prosecutors’ orders and pending further investigation.

Candelario said police investigators are continuing follow up operations.

Nicole’s father appealed for witnesses to come out and provide information on the suspect.

“I hope with the larger bounty, witnesses will surface and help in the investigation,” Aquilino said.

Nicole’s mother said that yesterday was the first time in seven years that she celebrated her birthday without her daughter.

Ellaine Glenn said her 30th birthday would have been happier had Nicole been around.

“This is the saddest birthday because my daughter is gone,” she said.

She said Nicole had always been active in celebrating her birthdays. An excited Nicole would often ask her about the preparations.

Nicole would ask: “Mama birthday mo na, anong handa mo (What have you prepared)?”

The Ella couple and their son Ken went to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) office in Caloocan for counseling.

Mr. Ella said there were no serious problems although the agency recommended that their family undergo counseling to help them overcome the pain of losing Nicole.

Ken, Nicole’s five-year-old brother, has refused to talk about Nicole’s death.

The elder Ella said Ken would change the topic whenever they ask him about his sister, who was his best friend and playmate. With Aie Balagtas See, Pete Laude