Gunman of slain resort owner's son identified

CEBU, Philippines - The police have identified the suspected gunman in the death of Antonio Fabian Santos last Wednesday at Barangay Kalunasan Cebu City.

This was after the police managed to locate and talk with two of the five alleged suspects last Friday afternoon somewhere in the Metro Cebu area.

Sr. Insp. Jul Mohammad Jamiri, Cebu City Homicide chief, said that the statements given by one of the two suspects gave them leads in identifying the gunman.

Jamiri said circumstantial evidence that one of the suspects disclosed greatly helped in their investigation but is still not enough for them to arrest him.

“We are at 80 to 90 percent in our investigation because of his (gunman) statement. Everything leads to him,” he said although he clarified that they still have to validate these claims.

The police official also said that the gunman recently arrived in Cebu and originally comes from the northern Mindanao area.

They are currently coordinating with their counterparts in Mindanao to learn more about the alleged gunman.

Jamiri clarified that Santos’ illegal numbers game operations weighs more than the possibility that the victim was killed because of his alleged illegal drugs operations in Barangay Kalunasan.

He said they are still trying to talk with Ariel “Bobong” Degamo, a Cebu City Jail inmate, whom Santos visited last Tuesday, a day before Santos was shot by his passenger some hundred meters from the jail.

According to Jamiri, Degamo’s statements can further shed light on their investigation as to why Santos visited him in jail and if he has any information as to why the victim was killed.

However, Jamiri also could not discount the possibility that Degamo might be behind the death of Santos.

Jamiri assures that they are not rushing their investigation to apprehend those behind Santos’ death.

This is despite strict orders from Cebu City Police Office Director Melvin Ramon Buenafe, to resolve the case “as soon as possible.”

“We can’t rush things because we are searching for justice,” Jamiri said.

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