Panglao police chief: Still no lead on ex-cop’s killers

Panglao police continue to investigate the killing of retired PO3 Ramon Bolongaita. | Photo courtesy of Panglao Police Station

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Almost 24-hours has passed since the killing of a former police officer in Bohol province, but investigators handling the case said they still don’t have any leads on the suspects or the motive in the killing of the late Police Officer 3 (PO3) Ramon Bolongaita.

Police Lieutenant Amelito Melloria, chief of the Panglao Police Station, said they continue to look into Bolongaita’s background hoping to find information that may lead them to his killers.

READ: Murdered ex-cop’s alleged link to Jaguar probed

The retired cop was shot dead on Friday, August 21, while he was riding his bicycle along Purok 3 Valenzuela, Barangay Poblacion, Panglao town in Bohol province.

Read: Ex-cop shot dead in Panglao, Bohol

Police Brigadier General Albert Ignatius Ferro, director of the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7), said they are looking into reports on Bolongaita’s alleged ties with the late “drug lord” Jeffrey “Jaguar” Diaz.

Melloria said they are now talking to Bolongaita’s family and former colleagues to determine his activities prior to his retirement in January 2016.

Initially, the family had informed them that they do not know of any threats to Bolongaita’s life or if he had a conflict with any of their neighbors.

“Na interview namo ang asawa ug mga anak kung aduna bay na kaaway nang biktima wala pa pud silay masulti ang pamilya sa biktima, mao nang wala pa tay ma tumbok sa pagkakaron,” said Melloria.

(We already interviewed the wife and [Bolongaita’s] children to ask if they knew if he had enemies but they could not think of any that is why we are still without any idea on the possible motive in his death as of now.)

Neighbors, Melloria said, had told police that Bolongaita was a pleasant neighbor and has not been involved in any fight or controversy in their community.

Melloria said that they are also coordinating with the task force which Ferro created to probe the killing of the former policeman.

Back in August 2015, Bolongaita survived an ambush in Barangay Busay where he stayed while he was still assigned in Cebu and before he returned to Barangay Bil-isan in Pangloa town. / dcb