Enrile: NBI-CEVRO ready to probe Clarin town mayor’s ambush-slay

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The National Bureau of Investigation Central Visayas Regional Office (NBI-CEVRO) is prepared to take the lead in investigating the Friday afternoon, October 25, 2019, ambush-slay of Clarin town, Misamis Occidental Mayor David Navarro.

Lawyer Tomas Enrile, NBI-CEVRO director, told CDN Digital in a phone interview tonight, October 28, that he was calling for a case conference on Tuesday, October 29, so they could already start their investigation on Navarro’s killing.

“I cannot promise anything, but we will do our best,” Enrile said.

Enrile issued the statement after President Rodrigo Duterte announced earlier today that he wants the NBI to take over the lead in investigating Navarro’s case from the Philippine National Police (PNP).

Read more: Duterte now suspecting cops killed Misamis Occ mayor

Enrile said that in order for their investigation to succeed, they will be needing the cooperation of key personalities including some community members who may have witnessed the ambush which happened in broad daylight along M. Velez Street in Cebu City.

Read More: Ten armed men involved in Clarin mayor’s ambush-slay, says policeman

Police Colonel Gemma Vinluan, chief of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO), told CDN Digital in a separate interview that they are very willing to turnover the investigation of Navarro’s case to the NBI.

“Mas gugustuhin namin na ma-handover ito sa kanila para mas matutukan ang pag iimbestiga sa kasong ito ni Mayor,” said Vinluan.

(We would rather turnover the case to the NBI so they could focus on investigating the mayor’s death.)

Vinluan, who is also the commander of Special Investigation Task Group (SITG) Navarro, said that she is prepared to share some case records with the NBI.

Police Brigadier General Valeriano De Leon, director of the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7), created the SITG Navarro to investigate the Clarin town mayor’s death. / dcb

Read more...