“Akoy nananawagan kung andyan man ang gunman ngayon may reward na nakapataw sa ulo. Mag ingat ka baka mamaya yong mismong nag- utos sa iyo ang papatay sa iyo. Kaya kung ako sa iyo magdadalawang isip ka mas mabuting sumuko ka na,” he said.
Justice will be served. Abalos gave this assurance to the family of the slain entrepreneur and model.
Plaza, 38, was shot dead by an unknown assailant outside her rented house in Green Meadows Subdivision, Barangay Sto. Niño, Mintal, Davao City at around 7:30 p.m on December 29,2022.
Abalos during his visit in Davao City on Friday (Jan. 6) said that police are doing their best to make sure justice is served.
“There is already a task force created to address and focus only on this case,” he said.
Abalos, who personally met the parents of Plaza, assured them that they will try to do their best to give justice to Yvonnette’s death.
“The family is grieving. Talagang masakit mamatayan ng anak. Basta pinangako namin na we will try todo our best to make sure that justice is served. Sana naman maibsan yong kanilang pagdadalamhati,” Abalos said in an interview with reporters.
Abalos, however, refused to set a deadline as to when the case should be resolved. What is important, the police act fast, he stressed.
Davao City Police Director Colonel Alberto Lupaz earlier announced a P1-million reward for information leading to the identity and arrest of Plaza's killers. A concerned group of individuals raised the amount to help authorities capture the killer(s).
Lupaz, who led the Special Investigation Task Group (SITG) Yvonnette has identified two “persons of interest,” however, he refused to name any of them in order not to preempt the ongoing investigation.
Brig. Gen. Benjamin Silo Jr., director of Police Regional Office (PRO) 11, meanwhile, confirmed that the SITG has already secured pieces of evidence relevant to the resolution of the case.
“We submitted the same to the forensic unit of the PNP for processing. We also have several footages and we are currently reviewing them,” Silo said.
“Our investigators are now in the field gathering more pieces of evidence,” Silo added.
He assures the public they are going to solve the case and will file criminal charges against the perpetrators.
“Just give us ample time. We would like to come up with a very quality result of the investigation,” he said.
Silo also confirmed that the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has conducted a parallel investigation in close coordination with the SITG.
“We will be exchanging notes with one common goal and that is to provide justice to the victim and her family,” Silo said.
NBI 11 director Lawyer Arcelito Albao in a recent media briefing at The Royal Mandaya Hotel said they are coordinating with the SITG so as not to make any inconsistency with the investigation being conducted on the killing of Plaza.
Albao said they are closely working with the Davao City Police Office.
“We gather our own investigation and conduct further gathering of information and intelligence reports. However, due to the creation of the task group, all our reports and information will be directly submitted to them in order not to preempt the SITG investigation,” Albao said.
DILG Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr.
PRO 11 director Brigadier General Benjamin Silo Jr.
DCPO chief Colonel Alberto Lupaz
NBI 11 director Atty. Arcelito Albao