PNP chief orders creation of task group to probe killing of red-tagged doctor

Colleagues of the late Dr. Mary Rose Sancelan, Guihulngan City Health Officer light candles outside her office after she and her husband were shot dead near their home. Sancelan was red-tagged by a vigilante group.  (PHOTO COURTESY OF ELESEO VILLAGRACIA III / GUIHULNGAN CITY GOVERNMENT)

MANILA, Philippines — Philippine National Police (PNP) chief General Debold Sinas on Thursday ordered the Negros Oriental police to create a task group that would investigate the Dec. 15 murder of a medical doctor in Guihulngan City who was red-tagged by the Kawsa Guihulnganon Batok Komunista (Kagubak)  vigilante group.

“Sinabi ko mag-create ng SITG [Special Investigation Task Group] para tutukan ito at alamin ang puno’t dulo ng insidenteng ito,” Sinas said on CNN Philippines when sought for updates about the fatal shooting of Dr. Mary Rose Sancelan, head of the Guihulngan City Inter-Agency Task Force against Emerging Infectious Diseases (GCIATF-EID), and her husband.

(I directed them to create a SITG to focus on the investigation.)

“Iniintay ko pa po ang feedback nila [Negros police], kasi based sa initial report nila, ongoing ang investigation at inaalam nila ang dahilan kung bakit binaril ang magasawa,” Sinas further said.

(I am waiting for their feedback because based on the initial report, the investigation is ongoing and the motive in the killing has yet to be established.)

PNP chief Gen. Debold Sinas. (Photo from PNP PIO)

Sancelan was on her way home with her husband when they were shot ad killed by motorcycle-riding assailants in Barangay Poblacion.

Kagubak included Sancelan in its list of individuals with links to the Communist Party of the Philippines and its armed wing, the New People’s Army.

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