Police look into ‘personal grudge’ in lady lawyer’s murder
The pressure is on for Mandaue city police to find the killers of lawyer Amelie Alegre, who was shot dead while
driving her car Thursday evening.
The ambush left another lawyer and office staffer wounded.
Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes called the police chief seeking a speedy solution.
One of the survivors, lawyer Briccio Boholst, was the mayor’s former city administrator in 2007 to 2010.
Boholst was in the back seat when motorcycle-riding assailants opened fire at the driver’s side past 6 p.m.
Mandaue City Police Office director Sr. Supt. Mariano Natu-el Jr. said he got a call from the mayor twice.
“Since Atty. Boholst once served as his city administrator, Mayor Cortes asked us to expedite the investigation and
arrest the culprits the soonest time possible”, Natu-el said.
PERSONAL GRUDGE
Natu-el said police are more inclined to view the ambush was the result of a personal grudge.
ne lead being checked out is the statements of Alegre’s mother and Boholst that the 35-year-old lady lawyer had
been receiving death threats from her estranged husband.
Natuel said police has invited the spouse, businessman Ryan Alegre, to come to the police station to shed light.
“He is not a suspect until such time that the suspicion will be supported by evidence”, said Natu-el.
The couple was married in 2004 and separated four years after. The businessman filed a court petition to annul
their marriage. They had no children.
Another angle being looked into is the dismissal of an employee of the law office who was fired by Alegre.
Natu-el said the former employee will also be contacted and asked questions.
Natu-el led a case conference on Friday afternoon with members of the Criminal Investigation (CIDG 7), PNP Crime
Laboratory, different station commander of MCPO, Investigation and Detection Management Branch (IDMB) and
intelligence personnel.
Each unit was tasked to secure statements of Alegre’s husband, mother, Boholst and other witnesses, and to gather
available CCTV video footage of the crime scene.
“We agreed to submit the result of the different tasking by Tuesday”, Natu-el said.
Alegre, who lives in a condominium in Cebu Business Park, was driving her BMW sedan to to Looc, Mandaue City to
bring Boholst home shortly before 7 p.m.
Their law office is in Mandaue city.
Alegre died from three gunshot wounds in her left jaw, left arm and chest.
Boholst, 55, and office mate Antonio “Tanya” Pino were declared out of danger at the UC Medical Center in Mandaue
City, according to Natu-el.
Boholst, who was in the back seat, sustained a gunshot wound in left leg. Pino who sat in the front, was shot in
the stomach.
At least 7 empty shells from 9 mm pistol were recovered from the crime scene.
Police said Alegre appeared to be the target because the shots were fired at at the driver’s side.
Two men on a motorcycle approached the car. The driver wore a full-faced helmet while the backrider who fired
shots wore a cap, said Natuel.
Footage of a closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera beside the traffic signal lights in the intersection in
barangay Looc will be examined.
CCTV cameras at Don Andres Soriano street in the Mandaue reclamation area and at the crossing of Plaridel and C.
Ouano streets in Looc captured images of the ambushed car with a motorbike tailing it.
But the video clip does not show a clearer view of the motorcycle’s license plate due to poor lighting, said Jerome
Ursal of the Traffic Enforcement Agency of Mandaue (TEAM) detailed at the Bantay Mandaue Command Center.
The cameras are effective only only good in daylight capture, he said.
He said one can only see the motorcycle’s color and the men on board wearing black jackets and full face helmets.
In a previous interview, Amelie’s mother Marieta Ocañada said her daughter was hit and badly injured by a car
driven by a woman linked to Amelie’s estranged husband in 2011.
The lady lawyer underwent surgery to install a stainless steel rod in her leg so she could walk. A case was
reportedly filed in court.
Cebu 6th District Rep. Luigi Quisumbing condemned the violence.
“If the killers are not brought to justice, heads will roll,” Quisumbing said in a statement.
He said he was ready to support the police operation to identify the killers and their mastermind./With
Correspondents Norman Mendoza, Melissa Cabahug
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