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CEBU CITY, Philippines - Finding the identity of the gunman will be the priority of the National Bureau Investigation (NBI) agents tasked to investigate the killing of businessman and politician Renerio "Gogong" Arrogante III on Sunday.
NBI agent Hermie Monsanto, who heads the four-man task force created to investigate the killing, said they will first make a cartographic sketch of the gunman.
“Ang pirmiro namong buhaton among i-identify ang identity sa gunman (The first thing we'll do is identify the gunman),” he said.
NBI director Medardo de Lemos of Central Visayas created the task force after the family of the slain businessman sought the agency's help.
Monsanto said he had already talked with one of the members of the victim's family.
The main witnesses of the killing are the victim's wife and son.
Arrogante III was talking to his wife, Juliet, and son, Renerio IV outside the family-owned commercial complex in Daanbantayan town, Cebu when he was attacked.
However, Monsanto said the team had not yet spoken with the wife and son because they were still grieving.
The NBI agents had already visited the crime scene to gather more evidence.
Monsanto said they will look into all possible angles in the killing including politics and the land dispute.
As part of the investigation, NBI 7 medico legal officer Doctor Rene Cam, also conducted an autopsy on the body of Arrogante.
Cam said Arrogante died of fatal shot in his right chest, wherein the bullet hit the heart and the lung.
“There were five gunshot wounds, the only fatal one was the one located at the right side of the chest”, Cam said.
Cam also said that there was no tattooing in the body, so the victim was shot approximately more than two feet from the assailant.
Two slugs which pierced inside the body were recovered, but Cam said he could not say from what caliber the slugs came from.
Meanwhile, engineer Augusto "Dodong Itok" Corro, mayoralty candidate who lost to Daanbantayan mayor Sun Shimura, said the reason for Arrogante's death is politics.
He cited the threats Arrogante received during the election.
When asked on why Arrogante was killed when he had lost in the election, Corro said Arrogante was vocal of any anomalies in the town.
Mayor Shimura however dismissed insinuations that his family was involved in the killing.
Shimura instead asked investigators to look at the land dispute angle because Arrogante had claimed ownership of a lot in barangay Bateria.
Besides, Shimura said Arrogante was not a threat to them politically.
He said Arrogante was one of 16 candidates for councilor in the town last election. He also ranked 16th.
Senior Superintendent Vicente Loot, the husband of Vice Mayor Maria Luisa Loot, denounced Arrogante's killing.
He said he would file charges against people who would accuse his family of being involved in the killing without having any proof to back their claims. /With a report from Correspondents Chris A. Ligan, Chito O. Aragon and Rene F. Alima
