CABIAO, Nueva Ecija – Police have
claimed a breakthrough in the investigation of the cold-blooded killing of this
town’s municipal accountant after a witness has come out in the open and
described one of the gunmen behind the December 18 gun attack.
Senior Superintendent Crizaldo
Nieves, provincial police director, said the witness has already given his
testimony regarding the killing of late municipal accountant Noel Gamboa, a
nephew of Mayor Gloria Crespo-Congco.
Nieves said the witness also gave a
detailed facial description of one of the suspects to Chief Inspector Eric
Garcia of the Philippine National Police Crime Laboratory based in Camp Olivas,
Pampanga.
Gamboa, 53, of Barangay San Roque
here, was gunned down the morning of December 18 in the town proper by the
suspect who was riding in tandem with another companion aboard a motorcycle.
Crespo-Congco, who
appointed Gamboa to his post some seven years ago, said there have been reports
the killing was work-related. “But even if there is conflict, it would not be
enough reason to justify his killing,” she said.
Chief Inspector Joseph Sta. Cruz, town
police chief, said that while the witness also gave a detailed description of
the assailant, they are not at liberty to disclose it because that was the
witness’ request.
“The witness fears for his life and
so we have to protect him,” he said.
Sta. Cruz said he was convinced the
attack was work-related considering the sensitivity of Gamboa’s post. He added
that three mobile phones of Gamboa and a CCTV (Closed Circuit Television)
footage in the murder scene could be the key to the final solution of the case.
He said the victim’s family agreed to
turn over the gadgets which will be subjected to digital forensic investigation by the Criminal
Investigation and Detection Group in Camp Crame to detect possible threats.
“The good thing about Gamboa’s mobile
phones were that they were sophisticated enough that we could track down text
messages from the date of purchase of his gadgets up to the time he was
killed,” he said.
