Basirgo: Zamboanga bizman’s killing was business-related

Mabolo are pursuing business angle in the killing of businessman Jeffrey Gomotin. | CDN Digital Photo: Alven Marie A. Timtim

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Mabolo police are now looking for the man whom businessman Jeffrey Gomotin met with shortly before he was killed Sunday night, September 22.

Police Captain Dexter Basirgo, chief of the Mabolo Police Station, is confident that Gomotin’s former business partner could lead police to identify his murderers.

Basirgo said that they are looking at the possibility that Gomotin’s murder was business-related.

Read More: Man shot dead inside SUV in Cebu City

The police chief said that they are doing a background check on Gomotin while they also try to unlock his cellular phone to trace the identity of the man whom he met with Sunday night.

“Murag ang kasulbaran sa kaso naa didto,” said Basirgo.

(I believe that the key to the resolution of this case is in that phone.)

Gomotin moved to Cebu two years ago and now resides in Barangay Looc, Mandaue City, where he manages a hauling business. He used to operate a copra business when he and members of his family were still in Zamboanga City.

Quoting the outcome of their talk with Gomotin’s wife, Basirgo said that the businessman received a call from a former business partner while attending Mass late afternoon on Sunday.   They agreed meet in an establishment in Mandaue City after the Mass while Gomotin asked his family to proceed to a mall in Cebu City.

Read More: Probers start piecing the puzzle about a businessman’s ambush-slay in Mabolo

He said that Gomotin was supposed to fetch his family at the mall after his meeting, but he was killed by a motorcycle tandem just a few meters away from the Mabolo Police Station at about 9 p.m.

Gomotin was waiting at a traffic light at the intersection of Juan Luana Extension and A. Soriano Street when shot at least three times.

Basirgo said that the hired killers made a U-turn along Juan Luna Extension on their way to the nearby S. Osmeña Road to flee. He said that the suspects may have tailed Gomotin from his meeting in Mandaue City and were waiting for the right timing to have him killed.

“One of our analysis ana, gi setup siya nga mo adto atong lugara para mahibal-an iyaha whereabouts,” said Basirgo.

(One of our analysis is that he (Gomotin) was setup to  go to the area where he met with his caller so that the hired killers would know of his whereabouts.)

Read More: Policeman ambushed near Mabolo Police Station

Basirgo said that they will be coordinating with the Mandaue City Police office in securing closed-circuit television (CCTV) from areas which Gomotin visited prior to his death hoping to find the suspects or the plate number of the motorcycle which they boarded.

As a deterrence to the occurrence of more killings within their area of responsibility, Basirgo said that he implemented adjustments in the deployment of policemen to do foot patrols.

Gomotin’s killing along Juan Luna Extension was already the second this year.

In May, a motorcycle tandem also killed Police Captain Delfin Bontuyan who stopped at red light there. /dcb