By: Jim Lloyd Dongiapon
The Davao City Police Office (DCPO) is currently investigating “persons of interest” who may have been responsible for the murder of businesswoman and model Yvonnette Plaza Chua on December 28, 2022.
DCPO Director Police Colonel (PCol.) Alberto Lupaz stated that the police cannot reveal their identities yet because the investigation is still ongoing.
He continued by saying that they are accumulating information and witnesses that will enable them to pin down the perpetrators of the crime as well as its motivation.
The CCTV footage, a screenshot of which has been making the rounds on social media since last week, had also been confirmed by their office. The copy of the video, though, has not yet been made public as part of the investigation.
The gunman and the motorcycle driver were both wearing full-face helmets in the image of their alleged altercation with Chua. The same screenshot also captured the moment the shooter was about to fire his gun at the victim.
According to Lupaz, the investigation into the crime’s motivations is focused on robbery and personal animosity toward Chua’s business.
In addition to those, the police are also investigating the allegations that are circulating on social media.
Among them are Chua’s alleged relationship with an Army official in Davao Region and the occurrence of road rage, which was the result of an argument between the victim and the shooter and his companion after their motorcycle collided with her Montero Sport.
Last week, a special investigation task group (SITG) was formed to investigate the case. It was prompted by the public’s sensationalization of the case, according to Police Regional Office XI Spokesperson Police Major (PMaj.) Eudisan Gultiano.
Gultiano also stated that the SITG has only two weeks to identify and charge the suspects.
In relation, the authorities have asked anyone who may have information about the crime to contact them immediately.
Chua was shot dead in front of her rented house on Buttercup Street, inside Green Meadows Subdivision in Tugbok District, Davao City, on Wednesday, December 28, 2022 at around 7:25 p.m.