Business, personal spat seen as motives

CEBU, Philippines - Two angles are being looked into by Mandaue City police investigators as possible motives in the killing of businessman Antonio Ouano the other day.

Supt. James Goforth, who heads the Task Force Ouano, said they are zeroing in on business and personal grudge of the victim.

The police said they have also identified two suspects, whom they said are professional hired killers who have pending warrants of arrest. They however refused to give further details.

Goforth said they are now conducting background investigation of all business interests of Ouano and the persons whom he had business and personal dealings.

The police are also reviewing all the cases in court involving the victim.

Ouano had just attended a court hearing at the Mandaue City Palace of Justice when he was gunned down by two unidentified motorcycle-riding gunmen on Mantawi drive in Barangay Mantuyong Mandaue City Friday afternoon.

The victim together with his secretary was driving his Toyota hilux and was catching for another court hearing at the Regional Trial Court Branch 28 at 2:00 p.m. when the unidentified assailants shot him.

As it was learned that the first court hearing he attended involves a property dispute between him and Dr. Danny Dionson. The property is allegedly under the names of Dionson’s late father lawyer Magno Dionson, Candida Jayme and Ouano.

Dionson already denied any involvement in the death of Ouano. The second court hearing that Ouano was supposed to attend that day involves a case filed by his own sister, Vilma Ouano.

According to the police, Vila wants to replace the victim as chairman of the board of directors in the Ernesto C. Ouano Development and Management Corporation.

Vilma filed a petition for injunction with damages against the victim and sought to ban the latter from entering the Ouano wharf compound. In 2009 Vilma also filed a case for grave threats against the victim in which the latter was convicted and ordered to pay P100 fine.

Meanwhile, Mandaue City Police chief Noel Guillamac, in an interview over dyLA, urged the Local Government Unit and the business community to offer cash reward to aid the investigation.

But Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Eric Ng Mendoza said it is too early to discuss rewards. Mendoza urged the police to investigate the case first. — /FPL  (FREEMAN)