Task Force Umale formed

Metro police chief Director Vidal Querol created yesterday Task Force Umale to investigate the killing of a businessman at the Ortigas Center in Pasig City the other day.

Querol said the task force members have no other duty but to investigate and solve the killing of Leonardo Umale, 62, owner of the Pearl Plaza building located on Pearl Drive Barangay San Antonio in Ortigas.

"They will deal solely with the killing of Umale and nothing else," said Querol as he refused to give any deadline for the task force to crack the case.

He said the task force is composed of elements from the Eastern Police District (EPD), Regional Intelligence and Investigation Division, Pasig City police, PNP Crime Laboratory and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-NCR. Assisting them would be agents of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).

Named task force head was EPD director Chief Superintendent Charlemagne Alejandrino, who was directed by Querol to work 24-hours a day to solve the ambush-slay.

"He should pursue all leads available and track down all witnesses so he can get a clear picture of the case," Querol said.

The victim’s family temporarily begged off from assisting police in the investigation as they prepare the burial of Umale.

"We were told by relatives that they would be talking to our investigators after the burial," said Senior Superintendent Romeo Abaring, Pasig City police officer-in-charge (OIC).

According to Abaring, there has been now new leads in their investigation into the slaying.

"Walang pagbabago maliban doon sa pagtalaga ng task force," he said.

Police have come up with sketches of three of the four suspects based on the description given them by witnesses.

Abaring said the gunman was described as 28 to 30 years old, having brown complexion, weighing 70 kilos and sporting black hair and a sparse beard.

The second suspect, who acted as a lookout, was 5’4" to 5’5" in height, thin and dressed like a construction worker. He had white hair.

Another lookout had a two-inch scar near his right eyebrow. He was 5’5" in height, 30 to 35 years-old, semi-bald, and had brown complexion.

Querol said the task force would work based on the cartographic sketches of the suspects. "

While waiting for Umale’s relatives to show up, our task force members would pursue the investigation based on the police sketches," he said.

The Metro police chief directed Senior Superintendent Felipe Rojas Jr., intelligence chief of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), to maximize the dissemination of the sketches of the suspects. "

We are soliciting the help of the public in solving the case. The sketches should be posted at all police stations in Metro Manila," Querol said.

The suspects ate breakfast at the second floor of the building owned by Umale before approaching him as he entered the Pearl Plaza.

"Hindi nga sila nagbayad nang tumayo at barilin si Umale," Querol said.

Umale had just stepped out of his Mercedes Benz in front the building at about 11:30 a.m. last Thursday when the gunmen opened fire at close range.

Chief Superintendent Ernesto Belen, director of the PNP Crime Laboratory said Umale was shot twice in the upper back and one in the back of the head. "Mukhang nakadapa na siya nang barilin," Belen said.

An electrician, Erning Lanton, tried to help Umale but he, too, was shot. He is now being treated at the Medical City Hospital.

After making sure that Umale was dead, the suspects casually walked away from the scene.

Police won’t summon Chavit

Despite accusations made by the wife of slain businessman Leonardo Umale that Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis "Chavit" Singson was behind the slaying, police will not summon the politician.

"We don’t have any basis for that. We just can’t invite him since we can investigate him only after somebody testifies he was part of the slaying," Alejandrino said.

Umale’s wife accused Singson of being behind the murder, hours after the incident at Pearl Plaza.

Alejandrino said investigators would instead invite people who witnessed the incident.

"As of yesterday, we were able to get three sketches of three of the four gunmen, that have been released for publication," said Alejandrino.

The EPD chief said the accusation of the wife that Singson was behind the murder was not supported with evidence.

"Yun ang sinasabi ng misis, pero insinuation lang, at alam niyo itong namatay sa aming pag-iimbestiga ay marami ding nakaaway, so hindi naman fair na mag-pinpoint tayo ng isang tao upang paghinalaan," Alejandrino said.

Singson said the other day that he could not understand why he was being linked to the slaying of Umale.

"If the reports are true she indeed named me, all I can say for now is that Umale was not exactly a hood man. Masamang tao si Umale. Sa katunayan ay marami siyang kaso at ito ay hindi lingid sa kaalaman ng marami," he said. "I have even helped Umale with many of his problems."

The governor said the businessman had a lot of enemies.

"Ang mabuti siguro ay ipaubaya natin ang kaso ng pagpatay sa mga imbestigador at huwag na natin silang pangunahan," he pointed out.

Singson said he was willing to help in any impartial investigation of the case to pinpoint those responsible.