Police eye ex-convict husband’s links to drugs as possible motive for lawyer’s killing

This is the pickup truck that Lawyer Baby Maria Concepcion Landero-Ole drove when she was shot dead by unidentified assailants along the highway in Barangay Looc, Danao City. CDN Digital | Paul Lauro

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Danao City Police are now looking into the possible connection of the death of Lawyer Baby Maria Concepcion Landero-Ole on December 17, 2020, to that of her husband, Wanito, a former drug convict who was also killed in the city terminal on May 2020.

Police Major Ma. Theresa Macatangay, the chief of the Danao City Police, told CDN Digital that they cannot discount the possible connection of both killings especially since the lawyer has already informed them as early as July 2020 that she has received threats from a convict who was her husband’s prison mate in the National Bilibid Prison.

Though the cases of Wanito were not fully disclosed by the Danao City Police, it was known on records that he was convicted due to illegal drugs and was imprisoned at the National Bilibid Prison prior to his death last May 26, 2020.

“Ang iyang husband allegedly naay connection sa Bilibid. For some reason githreaten ni siya (lawyer). Nakareceive daw siya og threats but since July 2020, we have not heard anything from her until the incident gahapon,” said Macatangay.

This death threat from her husband’s former prison mate in the Bilibid is one of the strongest motives the police have for the lawyer’s death, a reason why they cannot discount the possibility that the two deaths were related.

With this, the Danao Police will be endorsing to the Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO) the formation of a Special Investigation Task Group (SITG) as their resources cannot handle such a huge case.

For now, the Danao Police are already reaching out to the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology to trace the individual who was allegedly sending the death threats to Lawyer Ole and whether the individual is still inside the state penitentiary.

Macatangay said the SITG would help fast track the investigation since it has gone beyond Danao City and even Cebu Province.

On the local side, the police said they already have five persons of interest, four onboard two motorcycles, and one onboard a vehicle.

The closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage showed these vehicles were the closest in proximity to the car driven by Ole.

The Danao City Police is hoping for the cooperation of the family of Ole so they can have access to more information that would lead them to the perpetrators and the mastermind behind the killing.

Ole left behind two children including an infant who are now under the custody of close relatives. /rcg