DAVAO CITY—A police investigation body has yet to report any breakthrough in the killing of a businesswoman-model here three weeks after the incident.
The special investigation task group (SITG) that the regional police command created met on Wednesday for updating, the police here told reporters who attended the regular Philippine National Police and Armed Forces of the Philippines news briefing at a local hotel.
The reporters were also awaiting the progress of the investigation, but were told that Major Eudisan Gultiano, spokesman of the SITG would call for a news conference once a breakthrough would come in the progress of the investigation.
The killing of Yvonette Chua-Plaza took a twist after a military general was linked to the killing over a previous post of Chua-Plaza showing bruises on her face, and asking friends also to help her escape physical assaults on her. She also reportedly identified the person who was responsible for her bruises.
Chua-Plaza was killed at around 7:30 p.m. on December 29 by two motorcycle-riding gunmen while she was about to enter her residence at Green Meadows Subdivision in Barangay Santo Nino, Tugbok district.
A closed-circuit television camera showed her coming out from her Montero sports utility vehicle and was about to enter her rented house when a gunman shot her at close range. The gunman’s companion was the motorcycle driver but both did not remove their helmets and could not be identified.
The victim died on the spot, responding policemen said. Chua-Plaza, 38, was a pharmaceutical representative and did commercial modeling.
Major Gultiano, spokesperson for the Area Police Command (APC) in Southern Mindanao and the spokesman of the SITG said the killing has generated public interest “as to the identity and motive of the suspects.” He said investigators were looking at two “persons of interest” but did not elaborate.
The Davao City Police has also put up a bounty.
Army Brig. Gen. Jesus Durante III, who was linked to the killing, came out publicly to belie reports he inflicted the bruises on the victim, adding that his name was only dragged into the murder because of Chua-Plaza’s social media post in April last year. He added that Chua-Plaza had taken down the post and retracted her statement against Durante.
Durante was a former head of the Presidential Security Group during the term of President Rodrigo Duterte and he is currently the commanding officer of the 1001st Brigade based in Davao de Oro, formerly Compostela Valley province.
He said that “like everybody else,” he was saddened by the death of Plaza and was also demanding justice following her demise.
“Yvonne was a friend,” he said in a text message to the Inquirer on Sunday night. “My name is being dragged based on an FB post made last April 2022 wherein [she said] I allegedly hurt her. She later retracted the post and issued a statement that I did not in any way harm her,” Durante said, in one of his mobile phone message to a newspaper.
Army chief Lt. Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. said the 10th Infantry Division, which holds jurisdiction over the 1001st Infantry Brigade, of which Durante is the commander, is also investigating the case.
The women’s group Gabriela had also called for a thorough investigation into the killing, saying that it could be “whitewashed” as the name of a high ranking official was dragged into the murder case.
“Gabriela sympathizes with the family and friends of Ms. Yvonne Chua. There’s a need for a deep and impartial investigation as the case involved a high ranking government official. There’s also a need to protect the family of Ms. Chua, especially as evidence that could lead to the perpetrators continue to come out,” Clarice Palce, secretary general of Gabriela, said in a statement written in Filipino.