Davide urges police to expedite investigation on Ramirez killing

Governor Hilario Davide III calls on police to immediately resolve the case involving the brutal killing of former Medellin mayor Ricardo “Ricky” Ramirez. CDND FILE PHOTO

PINAMUNGAJAN, Cebu — Outgoing Governor Hilario Davide III is urging the police to expedite the investigation on the brutal killing of arrested Medellin councilor and former town mayor Ricardo “Ricky” Ramirez.

In an interview on Wednesday, June 19, Davide expressed his condolences to the Ramirez family as he hopes that the police would soon find a lead in the killing of the government official.

“Our sincere condolences to the family. I hope nga ma-imbestigaran dayon ni and ma-resolve dayon,” Davide said.

(I hope the police will find  leads from their investigation and that this case will be immediately resolved. )

Ramirez was on his last term as Medellin mayor when Davide assumed the governorship in 2013.

The two officials did not belong to the same party.

Ramirez was killed inside his hospital room in Bogo-Medellin Medical Center in Barangay Luy-a, Medellin town past 11 p.m. on Tuesday, June 18.

Ramirez has been under hospital arrest due to complaints of chest pains while he was detained at the town’s jail facility since 2017.

Ramirez, who sat as three-term mayor from 2007 to 2016, was arrested in July 2017 after the Provincial Intelligence Branch (PIB) of the Cebu Police Provincial Office (CPPO) confiscated from his home several unlicensed firearms.

A group of about 15 armed men barged into the hospital, held the hospital staff and security at gunpoint, and stormed inside Ramirez’ room and shot dead the detained official.

The perpetrators, however, did not hurt anyone else inside the hospital aside from Ramirez who tried to run for safety toward his room’s toilet.

Police recovered at least 30 slugs and empty shells of high-powered firearms inside Ramirez’ room. / celr