Cops filing charges this week

CEBU, Philippines - The police are set to file this week a criminal complaint against the possible killer of the 33-year-old woman who was found dead inside her car in Barangay Mabolo, Cebu City last week.

This, despite the police’s inability to locate two persons who were allegedly with Agnelen Uy and her husband, Wayne Christopher, in their Kia Picanto vehicle prior to her death.

Agnelen’s legs and arms were bound with duct tape and she had a gunshot wound to the nape when discovered. Her husband was considered by the police a “person of interest” in her death but was not taken into custody.

Cebu City Police Office City Intelligence Branch Chief Romeo Santander said the two persons, whom they are considering as possible witnesses to the crime, left for Leyte to observe All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day.  They, however, could no longer be found.

The two were supposed to be invited by Homicide Section investigators to help shed light on her death but they are now considered missing.

Despite this, however, the CCPO is set to file a case this week in connection to Uy’s death now that the police have secured a statement from a “vital witness” subscribed to by a prosecutor.

Santander said the witness could pinpoint the possible killer, whom he declined to name pending the filing of charges.

He said he held a case conference with Homicide Section investigators and they agreed that they would file the complaint within this week.

Santander said that once result of the laboratory tests conducted by the Regional Crime Laboratory-7 and the affidavits of the witnesses are available, they would proceed with the filing of charges.

He also said they would carefully study footage of a closed-circuit television camera they obtained because they found a discrepancy in the time Wayne said that the car was parked on Almendras Street.

“Among giestudyohan tanang detalye nga naukit diha sa CCTV. Most probably tanang mga circumstances, ang oras nga giistorya sa husband naay inconsistencies eh,” Santander said.

Based on the CCTV footage, the Kia Picanto was parked at 5:48 p.m.  a day before Uy was found dead.

But Wayne, in earlier pronouncements, said he, the victim, and one of his workers were blocked by unidentified persons riding a motorcycle somewhere at the North Reclamation Area past 7 p.m. on October 28.

Wayne said he and his employee managed to escape but his wife was abducted and was later found dead.

Santander said investigators would be asking for information from residents and workers of establishments along Almendras Street so that the person who left the car could be identified. – (FREEMAN)