Witnesses wanted for the ambush-slay of Kerwin Espinosa’s lawyer

CEBU CITY — The Police Regional Office in Region 7 (PRO-7) is still looking for witnesses in the ambush-slay of legal counsel and Ronda Vice Mayor Jonnah John Ungab.

PRO-7 Director, Chief Supt. Robert Quenery, on Tuesday said they need witnesses who could positively identify the two men whom they considered as “persons of interest” in the killing.

The PRO-7 director, however, gave his assurance that members of Task Force Ungab are doing their best to solve the crime.

On February 19, Ungab was ambushed across the Cebu City Hall of Justice after attending the promulgation of cases against his client, Eastern Visayas drug lord Rolando “Kerwin” Espinosa Jr., but police had yet to identify the suspects.

Task Force Ungab earlier released photos of a suspected “spotter” whose movements were captured by the CCTV camera inside and outside the Hall of Justice.

On Monday, investigators also obtained a cellphone video capturing another suspicious-looking character who seemed to be spying on Ungab.

The cellphone video was taken randomly by Ungab’s wife, Pearl, inside the courthouse before they were ambushed by a lone gunman. Pearl fortunately was unscathed and survived the attack.

A CCTV footage also showed the gunman waiting outside the Hall of Justice and answering a call on his mobile phone, which police believed was from a spotter inside the building.

The masked gunman was then seen running towards Ungab’s car as it exited the courts’ gate and started firing at Ungab who was driving his Suzuki Kizashi car shortly before noon that day. The perpetrators reportedly fled the scene on a motorcycle with no plate number.

Despite obtaining the footage, they have yet to find a witness who could identify the “persons of interest” captured in those videos, Quenery said.

Ungab was laid to rest on Sunday in Ronda, Cebu and his family is hoping that justice would be served soonest. (PNA)

Popular

PBBM welcomes Japanese, French envoys to PH in Palace courtesy call

By Dean Aubrey CaratiquetIn two separate engagements, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. welcomed Japanese Ambassador-designate Kitagawa Katsuro and French Ambassador-designate Donatienne Hissard at Malacañang...

Malacañang discourages hoarding, assuages fears over water scarcity amid looming super El Niño

By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet “Hindi po kinakailangang mag-panic, kailangan lang po ng tamang pag-prepara.” This sentence encapsulates the messaging that the government wants to extend to...

Malacañang ‘impartial’ on Baste Duterte’s testimony before Senate Impeachment Court

By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet Malacañang maintained a neutral position in response to the testimony made by Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte before the Senate...

PBBM institutionalizes COMPASS Portal as online hub for budget, expenditure disclosures

By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet Reinforcing the administration’s thrust towards transparency and accountability, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. signed Executive Order No. 126 s. 2026, which...