Police cordon the Mitsubishi Strada pickup truck where the bodies of Sanchez couple — Gavino and Arlene — were found in Tañanas Road in San Fernando town on July 18. | Photo by Paul Lauro (file photo)
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Cebu Police Provincial Office (CPPO) chief or CPPO chief is calling on witnesses or those who have knowledge of the crime to help them give justice to the death of the murdered couple, Gavino and Arlene Sanchez.
Police Colonel Engelbert Soriano, Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO) chief, made this appeal a month after the Sanchez couple were found dead inside their pickup truck in San Fernando town in southern Cebu.
Soriano said that they already had persons of interest in the killing but they would need witnesses that could help corroborate the pieces of evidence that they had to catch the suspected killers.
He also said that their investigation on the killing of the Sanchez couple was ongoing and that it was moving.
He cited the results of the forensic investigations that they requested as among the pieces of evidence that they had.
He said these pieces of evidence could be used againt the possible suspects but these would need witnesses to corroborate them.
The CPPO chief also said he could not provide more details because the investigation was ongoing.
“(I) encourage people especially those who have knowledge of the case to come forward and help us with the investigation at maibigay naman natin sa pamilyang Sanchez yung hustisya na hinahanap nila (and provide Sanchez family the justice they seek),” Soriano said.
The CPPO chief’s appeal to witnesses came a month after the Sanchez couple were found dead on July 18 with gunshot wounds in their bodies inside their pickup truck parked along the Tañanas Road in San Fernando town in southern Cebu.
Prior to them being found dead inside their vehicle, the couple was reported missing on July 17 by the couple’s daughter at the Minglanilla Police Station.
The daughter told police that her parents hurriedly left their house on the evening of July 16 allegedly bringing with them P5 million cash and P5 million worth of jewelry.
The couple were engaged in lending, catering and water refilling businesses.
The daughter and the other relatives of the family believed that the couple were abducted then and robbed.
The daughter then sought the help of the Anti-Kidnapping Group Visayas Field Unit (AKG-VFU) for possible kidnap for ransom case.
This was a day before the couple were found dead inside their Mitsubishi Strada pickup truck in San Fernando town.
However, Police Lieutenant Zosimo Ravanes, team leader of AKG-7, said that they no longer had a hold of the investigation of the Sanchez couple after their bodies were found last July 18.
Meanwhile, CPPO Chief Soriano also clarified that the victims’ family were cooperating and closely coordinating with police in the investigation.
He also assured that they would continue their investigation in the killing of the couple until those responsible for the deaths would be jailed.
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