Probers verify car ownership

CEBU, Philippines - The Special Investigation Task Group Archival and the National Bureau of Investigation are coordinating with the Land Transportation Office to verify the ownership of the Toyota Corolla Vios (GSC 675) recovered in the custody of the Highway Patrol Group last week.

Senior Supt. Noel Gillamac, task group head, said that the Certificate of Registration found inside the vehicle was under the name of Nora Year of Lapu-Lapu City but they are yet to confirm it.

“We have to determine if she is the real owner or not and if the documents were fictitious or not,” Gillamac told The FREEMAN.

Pieces of evidence recovered during the implementation of the search warrant that include the commemorative plate PNP 111, umbrellas, ladies bags, among others, were submitted to the NBI-7 for evaluation.

Gillamac said they are waiting for the result of the evaluation before they will discuss the next step.

“On Monday (today) we will meet with the NBI to discuss our next step,” Gillamac said.

Aside from the LTO-7, the SITG is also tapping the services of other government agencies.

Subjects of the search warrant issued by Regional Trial Court Judge Soliver Peras, Branch 10 were HPG-7 chief, Senior Supt. Romualdo Iglesia; Senior Insp. Joselito Lerion; Chief Insp. Eduardo Mara, and SPO4 Edwin Galan.

Out of the four mentioned, only Mara released an initial statement over his alleged involvement of the ambush-slay of Atty. Noel Archival and his two staff, Candido Miñoza and Alejandro Jaime.

The incident also injured Paulo Cortez, who solely survived the attack.

Mara was surprised of being included as one of the respondents of the search warrant because according to him impounded vehicles are under the Special Operations Team’s (SOT) control which is headed by Lerion.

Mara has suggested a parallel investigation over the incident on the SOT.

In a text message of Senior Insp. Oliver Plania, HPG-7 spokesperson, he is yet to talk with Lerio and Iglesia over the matter before he would release any statement in behalf of their office.

He said that both officers did not yet reply to his text messages.

The NBI served the search warrant at the HPG, believed to be in possession of the impounded vehicles allegedly used by gunmen responsible in the ambush-slay of Archival in Dalaguete, Cebu last month.

The seizure of the vehicle is another step in solving Archival case, said NBI-7 Regional Director Max Salvador.

Archival and his companions were onboard a Ford Escape SUV heading back to Cebu City from Dumaguete City when they were ambushed in Barangay Corro, Dalaguete. Archival just come from a hearing representing Jesuslou Elcarte Alegria, the alleged mastermind of a pawnshop heist, before RTC Branch 38 in Dumaguete. (FREEMAN)