PAINFULLY SLOW: Top cop unhappy with progress of Estancia shooting probe

By Jennifer P. Rendon 

Brigadier General Leo Francisco is surely one dissatisfied commander over the progress of the investigation on the Sept 14, 2022 shooting incident in Estancia, Iloilo.

Francisco, Western Visayas police chief, said the probe undertaken by the Special Investigation Task Group (SITG) PALIBOSFER is painfully slow.

“Just imagine this, pumunta ako sa Estancia para makakuha ng update sa nangyari doon. Walang update ang CoP don at nasa SITG na daw. So, I have to go back immediately para makausap ko mga taga IPPO (Iloilo Police Provincial Office) investigators,” he said in a text message.

The CoP or chief of police of Estancia is Lieutenant Joebert Amado.

Following what happened, Francisco said he has removed Amado from the SITG.

Amado was also relieved from the IPPO to the regional command in Camp Delgado because of the “sorry state” of the Estancia police station.

“After the SITG meeting, I will know kung sinu-sino pa o wala na muna,” he said.

Francisco said he will also assess the performance of Colonel Adrian Acollador, IPPO director and SITG commander, after the conference.

On Wednesday, the SITG said that it is closer to its goal, which is the filing of the case.

There have been lingering questions on when will the case be filed since all three slain victims have been laid to rest.

Chrysler Floyd Fernandes was buried on Oct 5, Jan Paul Mark Bosque on Oct 2, and Mark Clarenz Libao on Sept 25.

Senior Master Sergeant Francisco Lindero, Jr., SITG spokesperson, said that there are still other matters that are beyond the control of the SITG.

This includes the result of the Integrated Ballistic Information System (IBIS), which is deemed to help identify the owner of the firearm used in the shooting incident.

The ballistic result showed that the recovered fired bullets and cartridges at the crime scene at Brgy. Villa Pani-an, Estancia, Iloilo past midnight of Sept 14 were fired from the same caliber .45 pistol.

The SITG also experienced some difficulty after the National Bureau of Investigation-Western Visayas declined to furnish them with copies of the judicial affidavits of Bosque’s father and fiancée.

“So far, the investigation is within the scope of the theories or angles that we have. In the end, one of the theories will prevail,” Lindero said.