Real estate agent a ‘person of interest’ in lawyer’s killing
A police line is set up around the car where Lawyer Rex Fernandez was killed by a lone gunman on a street in Banawa, Barangay Guadalupe, Cebu City on August 26. | Paul Lauro
CEBU CITY, Philippines – Investigators here are still trying to identify the killers and mastermind behind the killing of lawyer Rex Mario Jesus Fernandez. And now, they are urging a certain Rosinda Acot to help them in the case.
The Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) named Acot as a ‘person of interest’ on Fernandez’s death.
Police Col. Josefino Ligan said investigators confirmed Acot, a real estate agent, as the woman whom witnesses saw disembarking on the slain lawyer’s car right after the shooting happened.
Ligan urged Acot, and those who may have known her whereabouts, to come to the police to provide vital information that could help in their investigation’s progress.
Police also believed that Fernandez’ missing wallet and cellphone remained in her possession.
“This is why we’re calling her to approach us and provide us her statements. The lawyer’s cellphone and wallet are still missing until now and maybe she has them,” Ligan said in a press conference on Wednesday, Sept. 1 that was aired live on Facebook.
“It’s been six days since the crime occurred and we still haven’t received any communication, any word from her,” he added in Cebuano.
On the other hand, top CCPO officials also said they already secured closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage showing the getaway vehicle used by the gunman.
“We will be running the videos with RACU (Regional Anti-Cybercrime Unit) since they are a bit blurred so that we can get the plate number,” Ligan explained.
Fernandez, 62, was gunned down at Banawa, Brgy. Guadalupe, Cebu City on August 26 while on board his vehicle.
An earlier CCTV video that was shared with members of the media showed that a lone gunman approached Fernadez’s and started shooting.
The lawyer’s driver was also hit and is now in critical condition.
The police formed a special investigative task force (SITG) to expedite the case.
Based on the tally made by the Philippine Daily Inquirer, at least 16 lawyers in Cebu had been killed since 2004. The most recent victim aside from Fernandez was lawyer Baby Maria Concepcion Landero-Ole who was killed in Danao City, north Cebu in December 2020. /rcg
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