Police Regional Office (PRO)-11 Director Marcelo Morales and Davao City Chief of Police, Senior Supt. Alexander Tagum, update reporters in a press conference on Thursday about the ongoing investigation on the attempted killing of Lawyer Wilmer Donasco. Photo by Lilian C Mellejor/PNA
DAVAO CITY -- Police investigators are looking into land dispute as a possible motive in the attempted killing of lawyer Wilmer Donasco here Wednesday.
Director of the Davao City Police Office (DCPO), Senior Supt. Alexander Tagum, said they are also eyeing the involvement of guns-for-hire in the attempt on Donasco's life.
Tagum assured that the police will consider all angles in determining the motive in the attempt to kill Donasco, including his work as a legal counsel for Apex Mining Company.
However, the police official ruled out suggestions that the incident had something to do with Donasco’s work in connection with the Maute case, saying, “It never came out in our investigation.”
Director of Police Regional Office 11 (Davao), Chief Supt Marcelo Morales, said the investigation is initially focused on a land dispute that involves "a big amount of money."
“Pero tinitingnan natin lahat pati mga client niya (But we are looking into all possibilities, including his clients),” Morales said in a press conference on Thursday.
Morales said probers will also determine if Donasco’s case is related to the killing of another lawyer, Connie Villamor, who was gunned down in Tagum City on Monday. Donasco and Villamor are both legal counsels of Apex Mining Company.
Donasco, 44, was shot by two unidentified persons on a motorcycle as he was parking his Chevrolet pickup along Candelaria St. here.
Police said the back rider fired at Donasco thrice at close range but missed. Donasco sustained minor injury caused by shattered glass on the left side of his car.
The DCPO has already formed Special Investigation Task Group (SITG) Donasco to dig deeper into the case and fast-track the investigation.
The SITG Donasco will be led by DCPO Deputy Director Ren Caburnay.
Tagum said Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) Davao president Rogelio Largo met with him to express concern over the incident.
The IBP committed to cooperate in the investigation, Tagum said.
The IBP earlier condemned the incident and expressed alarm over the two incidents.
“This incident is highly alarming as it happened only two days after Atty. Connie Villamor was murdered in broad daylight in Tagum City. The brazenness of the attack done in broad daylight near the Hall of Justice and police office (Police Crime Lab and Highway Patrol Group) makes the incident even more alarming,” the IBP-Davao said in a statement released on Wednesday. (Lilian C Mellejor/PNA)
