President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to investigate the killing of Negros Occidental provincial consultant Mariano Antonio “Marton” Cui III, Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said in a press briefing Monday, May 3.
Cui, provincial consultant on hospital operations, was shot dead as he was leaving his office at Emerald Arcade in San Carlos City, on April 12.
Duterte, who condemned the killing of Cui, ordered the NBI to investigate the case and give his family justice, Roque said.
Cui, who was the chief of staff of then Rep. Julio Ledesma, was an influential political player in the first district of Negros Occidental.
The body of Cui that was buried at the San Carlos City Memorial Park on April 20 was exhumed Monday morning for autopsy by Dr. Nicasio Butin, NBI 6 medico-legal officer, NBI Bacolod chief Renoir Baldovino said.
“The family of Cui, who initially refused the conduct of an autopsy, agreed to allow the NBI to do so this morning (May 3),” he said.
They need to recover the bullet that killed Cui if it is in his body, for ballistics cross matching to trace the weapon used, Baldovino said.
The NBI is also securing a cyber warrant, he said, but withheld details on why it is needed.
Baldovino also said it is premature to disclose the angles they are looking into as the motive for the killing.
The NBI investigation is separate from the one being conducted by the police.
The investigation into the killing of Cui is ongoing, the police still have no leads on the identifies of the killers, PCol. Romy Palgue, Negros Occidental Police director, said.*