Police backtracking Feliciano’s movement

CEBU, Philippines — The Cebu City Police Office is backtracking the movements of businessman Ruben Feliciano before he was killed on Friday evening.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Wilbert Parilla, CCPO deputy director for operations, said they already asked for updates from the stations to determine where they could start the investigation.

Parilla said they could not clearly say yet whether they will create a Special Investigation Task Group to focus on the killing of Feliciano adding that it is not within the parameters of the SITG.

The Police Regional Office 7 has also directed the CCPO to go deeper in the investigation.

Police Captain Renz Talosig, chief of the Mabolo Police Station, said they have yet to obtain closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage surrounding the crime scene.

Feliciano, also a former mayoral candidate of San Fernando town, was shot dead by still unidentified perpetrators outside his rented apartment in Barangay Apas, Cebu City last Friday.

He and his nephew, Kim Feliciano, were the victims of the first shooting incident in Cebu City this year.

Feliciano died on the spot while Kim was rushed to the hospital for treatment.

Talosig said that Feliciano sustained two gunshot wounds to the right side of his body and to the arm.

Considering that Feliciano is a businessman, Talosig said they are looking for the business side as the number one motive but stressed that they will also look for other angles such as politics.

Feliciano ran against incumbent San Fernando Mayor Lakambini "Neneth" Reluya in the 2019 midterm elections.

He was pointed as a person of interest (POIs) in the ambush of the mayor that led to the death of her husband and Panadtaran, San Fernando barangay captain Ricardo "Nonoy" Reluya along with two others prior to the elections.

The controversy continued until the midterm elections when four of Feliciano's alleged supporters who were tagged as "goons" were arrested for allegedly shooting it out with the authorities near the house of a municipal council candidate in Barangay Bugho. — GMR (FREEMAN)