Estremos case 2 persons invited for questioning

CEBU, Philippines - At least two persons, including a dismissed policeman, were invited by police for questioning in relation to the death of PO3 Gerlito Estremos.

Cebu City Police Office Acting Director Mariano Natu-el, Jr. said that the persons invited were soon released after the eyewitness did not positively identify them as the cohorts of Ian Canseco who was earlier arrested for allegedly mauling and killing Estremos.

Natuel said the former Police Officer 1, who was dismissed from services in 2011 for absences without official leave (AWOL), also denied any involvement in the incident.   He is allegedly into illegal drugs use.

Following the arrest of Canseco Monday night, Natu-el said they are continuously searching for the suspect’s cohort, who drove the get-away motorcycle in last Saturday’s killing.

Natu-el revealed that they picked up the former policeman last Tuesday after his face resembled with the facial composite of the second suspect.

He said they came up with the sketch based on the description given by the eyewitness who also identified Canseco.

The former policeman, a Cebu City resident, was released on the same day since the evidence that would link him to the crime was weak.

Chief Insp. Romeo Santander, who heads City Intelligence Branch, said they would have wanted to subject the former policeman to a paraffin test before releasing him.

But they opted to just release him because it was already three days since the incident and paraffin test has to be conducted within 72 hours, after a person has fired a gun.

Santander revealed that they are pursuing another person and the getaway motorcycle yesterday afternoon.

Natu-el said they invited another person but also released him soon since the eyewitness did not also identify him as Canseco’s companion.

Natuel said the guy is reportedly a gun-for-hire although he has no pending criminal case.

Estremos, team leader of Fuente Police Station’s Alert Team, was mauled and shot to death along P. Del Rosario St. corner Junquera St., Barangay Kamagayan Saturday dawn.

Natu-el believes that there was deeper reason why the suspects killed the policeman, who was looking for his stolen helmet when he allegedly met the suspects. — (FREEMAN)