CCPO eyes drugs, love triangle in Nepomuceno’s killing

Police Lieutenant Colonel Wilbert Parilla, deputy director for operations of the Cebu City Police Office. CDN Digital photo | Morexette Marie B. Erram

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Cebu City Police Office is looking into illegal drugs and love triangle as possible motives in the ambush slay of Ritchie Nepomuceno on Monday night, April 19, 2021.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Wilbert Parilla, deputy city director for operations of CCPO, said that they are now focusing on these two angles while they continue investigating the shooting incident.

Parilla said that they came up with the illegal drugs angle after Nepomuceno’s name was tailed to drug suspects they’ve previously arrested.

“Every time nga dunay mga TI nga buhaton or mga tactical interrogation nga atoang buhaton sa atoang mga arrested nga suspects, mogawas pud ang iyahang ngan, because ang kaning kapuyo ani niya kaning biktima, was arrested because of drugs. Nya dunay connection nga siya na say maoy nipuli og padagan sa ilahang drug business,” Parilla said.

Parilla also mentioned that the love triangle angle emerged after they received reports that the victim had an ‘affair’ with a drug lord who is currently detained in the Cebu City Jail, and also allegedly with Police Staff Sergeant Celso Colita himself.

“Nakadawat sad og mga taho nga ang kaning biktima nga gipusil, giuyab uyab atong police (Colita) nga iyang gikiha,” he added.

Parilla added that as of now, their investigation will be based on these two angles.

COINCIDENTAL

Parilla said that they could not link Police Staff Sergeant Celso Colita’s case to Nepomuceno’s killing since Colita was under camp restriction. Parilla explained that when one is under camp restriction, he is not allowed to go outside the camp.

“So far si Colita dili nato ma link kay gikan nga gibalhin na ni sila sa regional office, they are not allowed to go outside sa atoang campo, camp restricted na sila…Naa ra sila sa sud sa campo,” Parilla stressed.

“Wala sila kagawas kay mao man nay atong SOP, once nga camp restricted ka because of a heinous crime, di gyud ka kagawas,” he added.

He further said that these two incidents were only ‘coincidental’.

“Coincidence lang gyud nga ang nahitabo the same nga adlaw, between sa atong babae nga victim ug katong mga accused nato nga police,” Parilla asserted.

Parilla was himself puzzled on how Colita was armed with a .45 caliber pistol given that he was disarmed along with his restriction inside the Police Regional Office (PRO-7). He further said that this is also subject to further investigation.

Colita killed himself on Monday evening while under camp restrictiona few hours after Nepomuceno’s murder.

Parilla added that they also welcome help from the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) on this case. He further mentioned that the CCPO will conduct its own investigation while waiting for the result of the parallel probe conducted by the Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO). /rcg