PNP condemns killing of IAS officer in Cebu City

PNP OIC Lt. Gen. Archie Francisco Gamboa in a press briefing. INQUIRER.net file photo / NOY MORCOSO

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) condemned on Friday the Nov. 21 murder of a ranking policeman assigned at the Internal Affairs Service (IAS) in Cebu City.

Lt. Gen. Archie Gamboa, PNP officer-in-charge, vowed to get to the bottom of the murder of Lt. Col. Joie Yape Jr., an intelligence officer at IAS in Camp Crame, Quezon City.

“I extend the sincerest condolences of the PNP office corps and rank-and-file to the orphaned family and colleagues of Police Lt. Col. Yape even as we assure them that the ends of justice will be served,” Gamboa said in a statement.

He instructed the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group to closely coordinate with the Special Investigation Task Group of the Central Visayas police formed to investigate the murder.

Yape was walking with his wife along Molave Street, Barangay Kamputhaw on Thursday afternoon when a motorcycle suddenly stopped near them. One of the riders then shot him at close range.

He was the former chief of the Cebu Provincial Intelligence Branch and was formerly assigned in Calbayog City Intelligence Unit.

“Although there are many possibilities on what could be the motive behind the ambush, but we do not want to theorize or make hasty conclusions, rather we will look at all these possibilities and narrow down the investigation based on evidence.” said Gamboa.

Edited by JPV