Lapu police chief hopes witnesses in brgy. councilor’s killing will surface

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Police in Lapu-Lapu City hope people with valuable information that can help solve the killing of Barangay Mactan Councilor Zandro Augusto will come out in the coming days.

Police Colonel Clarito Baja, chief of the Lapu-Lapu City Police Office (LLCPO), is appealing to those who might have witnessed the incident or know about the killing to approach any of the city’s stations so they can help solve the case.

“We assure them of their confedentiality. Bisag sekreto lang gyud nga mo ari sila namo,” said Baja.

(They can come to us in secret.)

Augusto was on his way to pick up his wife when he was shot by two still unidentified men on a motorcycle along Lopez Jaena Street in Barangay Poblacion, Lapu-Lapu City past 7 p.m. on Saturday, September 19, 2020.

Read: Lapu-Lapu cops checking CCTVs, slain dad’s business, work

Baja said the move of Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard Chan to offer a reward for any formation that will lead to the arrest of the killer of Augusto will be a big help.

“Siguro ning umaabot nga adlaw, hopefully, naay mo hatag nga impormasyon. Dakong tabang ang reward para pud ma encourage ang mga katawhan nga mo hatag og impormasyon,” said Baja.

(Maybe in the coming days, hopefully, someone will be able to give us information. The reward is a big help to encourage the public to give some information.)

Chan, who condemned the killing, announced the reward offer in a social media post on Sunday morning, September 20.

“Kusganon natong tinguhaon nga makab-ot ang hustisya alang sa iyang kamatayon pinaagi sa pag-ila,  pagdakop ug pagtaral sa hukmanan sa mga naghimo sa salaud aron ilang pagabayran ang kinabuhi nga ilang giutang,” he said.

(We will make sure that justice will be served for his (Augusto’s) death by unmasking and bringing to the courts the person/s who committed the crime and make them pay for the life that they claimed.)

Read: Ahong offers P1M reward for the arrest of Mactan brgy councilor Zandro Augusto’s killer

As of this time, Baja said that they are collecting footage of closed-circuit television (CCTV) in the areas where the suspects were seen, which were along the stretch of Lopez Jaena, Street.

Baja believes that one of the CCTV footage may have caught the faces of the suspects as the two were not wearing full faced helmets or masks. They were only wearing caps.

“Basta lang naa maka describe sa nawung, amoang siguraduhon nga ma trace,” said Baja.

(As long as someone is able to describe the faces, we’re sure we will be able to trace them.)

He added that although they do not have any persons of interests yet, they are verifying information about certain individuals who could possibly be hired gunmen. But Baja clarified that this still needs to be verified. /bmjo