By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

The Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) has officially formed the Special Investigation Task Group (SITG) Pondevilla to investigate deeply the murder of Northern Negros Electric Cooperative (Noneco) General Manager Atty. Danny Pondevilla.

BCPO Director, Police Colonel Thomas Joseph Martir said the SITG will comprise investigators from Police Station 2, the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, Scene of the Crime Operatives, Negros Occidental Crime Laboratory, and the Cyber Crime Division of the Philippine National Police (PNP).

Based on the latest update released by Martir over the weekend, he pointed out that there were several text messages that had been erased from Pondevilla’s mobile phone.

The phone has since been forwarded to the PNP Cyber Crime Division to recover the deleted text messages.

Meanwhile, Police Station 2 Commander Lt. Jonito Pastrana said, based on their investigation, they deduced that the gunman was inside the vehicle when Pondevilla was shot.

They pointed out the lack of bullet holes inside the car, as well as an empty .45 caliber shell inside the executive’s Honda CR-V.

The results of the paraffin tests of the two persons of interest — identified as Jovel Lim Aguilar, an executive secretary and who was with Pondevilla when the incident happened; and Chester Celis, an employee of Noneco, who reported the incident to the police — showed they had tested negative for gunpowder residue.

However, Martir said they will continue to investigate the two.

Police are also hoping for witnesses to surface to help them with the ongoing investigation.

Pondevilla was gunned down along Bacolod City’s 16th Lacson Street last Wednesday, December 21./DGB, WDJ