NBI-7 joins hot inquiry

Police – Husband denies any hand in lady lawyer’s killing

The National Bureau of Investigation in Central Visayas (NBI-7) has started its own probe into the Aug. 13 ambush-slay of lawyer Amelie Alegre in Mandaue City even as the police continue their efforts.

The victim’s cousin, Carmelita Terez, a retired prosecutor of Mandaue City, requested the civilian agency to step in and trace the killers as well as the mastermind, said NBI-7 Assistant Director Augusto Isidoro.

Meanwhile, the victim’s husband Ryan Alegre denied any involvement in the killing.

He was interviewed by the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) at his residence last Saturday.

Supt. Marlon Tayaba, CIDG regional director, said there was “no significant revelation” made by the spouse, “but we are optimistic we will unearth the real motive in this case.”

“There will be no overlapping. We need to complement with each other and share information,” Isidoro told CDN about the parallel police inquiry.

“We may come from separate agencies but we will extend help to each other. Inter-agency cooperation is better. The bottom line is that we will be able to solve this case fast,” he said.

Four NBI agents have been assigned to the case, he said.

Alegre, 37, was in the driver’s seat of her BMW sedan when she was shot dead by two motorcycle-riding men who opened fire while the car was traveling on busy C. Ouano Street in barangay Looc, Mandaue City at 6:51 p.m.

Her two passengers, law partner Briccio Boholst and office mate Antonio Pino, were wounded.

Alegre’s mother Marieta Ocañada on Saturday told CDN that their family decided to seek the assistance of the NBI.

“Maayo unta nga makonsensya ang mga nagpatay sa akong anak. Hinaut pa unta dili sila mahimutang (I hope the perpetrators will be bothered by their conscience. I hope they are not at peace),” she said in an interview at St. Peter’s Memorial Chapel in Cebu City.

Marieta said that in her prayers, she told her dead daughter to “just give me the strength and I’ll do everything so those who killed her will answer” for the crime.

The mother said she hopes investigators look closely at Amelie’s broken marriage and the death threats her daughter received.

Amelie’s husband Ryan had filed for annulment of their marriage, but the couple disagreed over the division of conjugal property.

Marieta expressed dismay that Ryan’s parents had not yet visited the vigil wake or called them.

“Wa gyud nitawag namo ang parents ni Ryan, bisan mo-condolence na lang. (Ryan’s parents never bothered to call us, even just to send their condolences),” she said.

Amelie’s remains will be cremated on Saturday before she is laid to rest at the St. Joseph Parish’s columbarium in Mabolo, Cebu City.

FOUR MOTORBIKES

In a case conference yesterday at Camp Sergio Osmeña, police said a review of footage of closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras and witness accounts showed that four motorcycles were tailing the victim’s car, not just one.

“That’s what we saw on the CCTV. That’s why several witnesses had different descriptions of the assailants riding in tandem. The others may have been lookouts. We are looking at possible suspects and making a background check,” said Senior Sup.t Marinao Natuel Jr., chief of the Mandaue police.

Natuel said it looked like the killing was pulled off after one to two weeks of planning. He earlier said the killing was apparently motivated by a personal grudge and was not work-related.

“With this kind of case, especially that it is a well-planned execution, I cannot assure that it will be solved immediately, but soon,” he said.

He declined to give more details about the ongoing probe.

Chief Supt. Prudencio Bañas, regional police director, said that since the APEC 2015 meetings are starting in Cebu next week, he would like to see the case solved “in one week.”

Another case conference will be held today.