We hope that swift and decisive justice comes for the family of slain Ronda Vice Mayor Jonnah John Ungab whose ambush near the Qimonda building at the North Reclamation Area in Cebu City should be resolved by the authorities at the soonest possible time.
The site of the crime — the Qimonda building which temporarily houses the Hall of Justice where Ungab had reportedly come out after representing his client, the self-confessed drug lord Rolando “Kerwin” Espinosa — is located at one of the busiest streets in the city and an ambush in broad daylight could not go unnoticed.
That’s no problem for the masked assailant who casually approached Ungab as he was getting ready to turn right and shot him twice in the left temple and ear before fleeing the crime scene on board a motorcycle.
Even if he was tagged by Senior Insp. Jovito Espenido as one of the alleged protectors of Espinosa, allegedly the biggest drug lord in Central Visayas, Ungab didn’t deserve to be executed in front of his wife.
Despite being born to wealth and having been elected vice mayor of a southern Cebu town, Ungab continued to practice his profession, and he unfortunately acquired a very unsavory list of clients.
Aside from Espinosa, Ungab is also representing businessman Kenneth Dong who was implicated in the P6.4-billion drug shipment seized by Customs last year and suspected Danao City-based drug lord Alvaro who’s detained at the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center (CPDRC).
Thus, it was no surprise that Ungab received death threats but though he took precautions, the vice mayor may have taken it as part and parcel of his chosen profession without expecting that it may soon catch up to him.
The fact is, aside from Espenido’s accusation, there is no solid evidence establishing Ungab’s alleged collusion with drug lords. His ambush is a plain and simple public execution done in broad daylight but carried out by cowardly assailants who hid behind masks and full face helmets to avoid arrest and prosecution.
It would be fruitless and especially hurtful to Ungab’s family and friends to engage in unfounded speculations about his murder but collective public sentiment should be galvanized to spur the Cebu City police and those comprising the Task Force into hunting down and arresting the suspects in order to identify and apprehend the mastermind.
We hope the Cebu City government under whose jurisdiction the crime unfortunately happened would issue a strong statement (if they haven’t by now) condemning the incident and pledge to extend cooperation and assistance to the task force for the speedy resolution of the murder.
As expected lawyers groups have banded together to throw their support for the resolution of Ungab’s murder, and we hope this is more than enough to bring the wheels of justice to bear on the perpetrators.
Ungab’s murder is not only a threat to lawyers who are duty bound to represent both the innocent and the accused in court but also to the justice system which is now being coopted by both criminals and extrajudicial killers.
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