Soriano: Investigation on Zozobrado’s murder now focused on his ‘personal affairs’

Police Master Sergeant Raymund Zozobrado was killed in an ambush on May 29, 2021. | Contributed photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Policemen in Cebu are trying to find links that will connect the murder of Police Master Sergeant Raymund Zozobrado on the first attempt on his life that happened in April 2018.

Police Colonel Engelbert Soriano, chief of the Cebu Police Provincial Office (CPPO), said that finding a link between the two ambush may also help them identify the people behind his killing on May 29, 2021.

READ: Policeman died in second ambush, ‘girlfriend’ injured in Barili attack

Zozobrado, who is assigned at the Guihulngan Police Station in Negros Oriental, was travelling back to Cebu City with a female companioned when he was ambushed along the national highway in Barangay Dakit, Barili.

He was already dead when brought to the hospital.

Soriano said they are now waiting for the outcome of the examination on the slugs that were recovered at the Barili ambush site so they can compare these with those that were recovered during the 2018 ambush in Barangay Mambaling in Cebu City.

READ: Cop survives ambush

“Tinitingnan namin kung the same group ba o same na tao yung unang nag attempt sa kanya, will try to lift it. We are just waiting for the result of the ballistic examination nung mga evidence na recover don sa crime scene,” Soriano said.

(We are trying to determine if the same group or the same individuals were behind the attempts on his life. We are just waiting for the result of the ballistic examination on evidenced recovered at the crime scene.)

The outcome of the ballistic exam is crucial to their ongoing investigation, Soriano added.

“If we will be able to link later on, kung ma prove namin directly yung first attempt sa buhay niya, that would be the time na makapag conclude kami na or magkaroon kami ng person of interest,” he added.

(If we are able to link or prove that the first attempt on his life was related to his killing then that is the time that we will already be able to name a person of interest.)

Soriano said they are looking the possibility that Zozobrado’s killing had something to do with his “personal affairs.”

“Kasi wala kaming nakikita na job related ito. More on kanyang personal affairs mas naglelead doon ang aming investigation kaya tinitingnan namin kung ano yung involvement nung kasama natin (Zozobrado). Doon kami nag babase ng pagdetermine ng motive ng pagpatay sa kanya,” he added.

(We do not see nay reason that will connect his killing to his being a policeman.  This is more on his personal affairs that is why we are now looking at his personal involvements when he was still with us in the police service. That is were we will base the determination of the motive in his killing.) / dcb