Family airs ‘pain’; gov’t offers P2M in Davantes case

The family of slain advertising manager Kristelle “Kae” Davantes sent out a message of “pain” addressed to her killers and their possible coddlers, even as Malacañang raised the reward for the perpetrators’ arrest to P2 million.

The last time the government offered an amount that big in a bid to bag crime suspects was in connection with the July 26 Cagayan de Oro bombing and the case of stray-bullet victim Stephanie Nicole Ella who was hit on New Year’s Day. Both cases remain unsolved.

“You also have family members you love. If this happened to you, you would know our pain. Please think,” said Kae’s uncle Vince Davantes in an interview with the Inquirer on Tuesday.

Though police have to yet to come up with suspects, Vince said the victim’s family was “happy and overwhelmed” with the support they had been getting from authorities. “The police have studied this deeply. We have nothing bad to say about them. They have been working 24/7 and are in constant coordination with us.”

The Davantes family also went online to thank the public. In the “Justice for Kae” page on Facebook, a message posted on Tuesday read: “To everyone who have liked, shared this page, given advice and opinion. We thank you sincerely. We are not able to reply individually but rest assured that we take time to read all your comments.”

“The family is still struggling to regain the normalcy of life and we know it will take time. Thank you for continuing to be with us in this cause,” the family added.

Meanwhile, from Zamboanga City, President Aquino approved the P2-million reward in an order coursed through Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa.

Later in a Palace briefing, presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said the President phoned Ochoa Monday night to have the amount increased from the initial P200,000 offered by the police. On Monday, Las Piñas City Mayor Vergel Aguilar offered an additional P300,000.

Philippine National Police spokesperson Senior Supt. Reuben Theodore Sindac said informants may contact the PNP through hotlines 0917-8475757, 09192821142 or 723-0401 to 20.

They can also send a text message to (PNP) 2920, or send tweets to @ireport_krimen, or post messages on the PNP’s Facebook account, facebook.com/pnp.pio, he said.

Asked if the increased reward reflected the President’s impatience with the police investigation, Lacierda said: “It’s not a question of disappointment. I suppose it is a question of inducing people to help identify the perpetrators of this heinous crime.”