The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) is seeking to subject the mobile phone of slain Manila Senior Assistant City Prosecutor Jovencio Senados under forensic examination.
NBI Deputy Director for Forensic Investigation Services Ferdinand Lavin said on Friday that the family of Senados currently has in possession the victim’s mobile phone.
“Limited ‘yung cooperation ng family because they are in the period of mourning. Kami naman naintindihan namin yan (The family has limited cooperation because they are in the period of mourning. We understand that),” said the NBI spokesman.
“Full cooperation normally would come after the burial,” he added.
Once investigators get hold of the mobile phone, Lavin said it will be subjected to forensic examination to determine who have been contacting and making threats to the victim.
“Ipo-forensic namin ‘yung cellphone niya para makita namin (We will have the cellphone subjected to forensic examination to find out),” the NBI spokesman said.
So far, Lavin said family members and co-workers of the victim have yet to reveal if Senados has received death threats.
Meanwhile, Lavin said the driver of the victim who survived the shooting unscathed has been “cooperative so far.”
“Nagkakaroon kami ng parang re-enactment with the driver, kung saan sila nagmula. Sinasama ng agents ‘yung driver sa mga dinaanan nila (Investigators are retracing their route. They have asked the driver to accompany them to retrace their route),” the NBI official said.
The 62-year-old prosecutor, who resides in Calamba City, Laguna, was gunned down while aboard his car that was driven by his driver at around 11:05 a.m. on Tuesday on Quirino Highway corner Anakbayan St. in Paco, Manila.
Closed circuit television camera footage in the area showed that unidentified assailants used two vehicles in the crime, including a black Mitsubishi Montero with license plates ABG-8133.
Lavin said the license plate number is registered to a woman who owns a Honda Brio in Real, Quezon.
“Napuntahan na nung mga agent at ang sabi nung may-ari, babae, na hindi naman siya umaalis. So there is very high probability na doble plaka ‘yun o kaya ‘yun peke (Investigators visited the owner who said that she has not left her home that day. So there is a possibility that the plate number used by the suspects was a duplicate or fake),” he said.
The NBI spokesman said the NBI Laguna District Office (NBI-LAGDO) under Provincial Director Daniel Daganzo has been tapped in the investigation, including determining if Senados was followed from his home in Laguna that day.
If so, Lavin said the NBI Death Investigation Division (NBI-DID) could also be tapped to augment investigators of the NBI-National Capital Region (NBI-NCR) under Regional Director Cesar Bacani which is the main unit conducting the investigation.