Abra police urge public to help identify suspects behind lawyer’s killing

The Abra Provincial Police Office on Sunday called on to those who could help identify or locate the perpetrators behind the murder of Atty. Maria Saniata Alzate to coordinate with authorities.

In a Super Radyo dzBB interview, Abra Provincial Police Office public information office chief Police Captain Ronaldo Eslabra said the motive behind Alzate’s murder is still being established as the suspects remain at large.

“'Yung CCTV na nailabas at mga video, sa aking pananaw, kung 'yun ay taga-rito, mayroon nang makakakilala. Subalit magpahanggang ngayon, wala pang nagkokomento o wala man lang makapagsabi,” he said.

(In my view, based on the CCTV footage and videos, someone would have known the perpetrators if they were from here. But until now, no one has commented or at least pointed us to them.)

Alzate was killed on Thursday by two men riding in tandem who immediately left after the attack. The motorcycle used did not have a license plate.

She was parked in front of her house in Bangued, Abra, when the shooting happened. There were nine fired cartridges and five bullets recovered inside the vehicle.

“Kung iyon ay tagarito, mayroon nang makakakilala. Subalit magpasahanggang ngayon ay walang nagkokomento o wala man lang makapagsabi,” he said.

According to Eslabra, the police are now backtracking CCTV footage to know where the perpetrators came from.

“Kung iyon ay tagarito, mayroon nang makakakilala. Subalit magpasahanggang ngayon ay walang nagkokomento o wala man lang makapagsabi,” he said.

“Ang kapulisan ay nananawagan sa ating mga kababayan na tumulong para sa ikakalutas ng krimeng ito,” he added.

(If they were from here, they would have already been identified. But up until now, there have been no comments and no one who could say… The police are calling on our citizens to help solve this crime.)

Alzate was the wife of a former judge of the Abra Regional Trial Court, and was the Commissioner of the Bar Discipline of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) since 2015. She was also a former president of the IBP Abra Chapter.

Her earlier petition for a Writ of Amparo was granted for a client who was a suspect of a crime but was said to be a victim of kidnapping, imprisonment, and torture by a member of the police force.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Saturday said it had gathered "strong leads'' in its investigation into the killing of Alzate.

“Iniimbestigahan pa pong mabuti ng ating investigators ‘yung motive. ‘Pag matumbok natin ‘yung motive, magkakaroon na tayo ng idea siguro sa identity ng suspect,” Eslabra said in a report on GMA's "24 Oras Weekend" on Sunday.

(Our investigators are still looking into the motive. Once the motive is established, we can have an idea of the identity of the suspect.)

Malacañang, meanwhile, said it would ensure that law enforcement agencies ''will work relentlessly to bring to justice those behind this heinous act.”

A special investigation task group (SITG) has also been created to probe the fatal shooting incident. —Jon Viktor Cabuenas/KG, GMA Integrated News