DIGOS CITY, DAVAO DEL SUR — The Special Investigation Task Group Bucol (SITG-BUCOL) has confirmed that the former chief of Digos City Police Station, PLt. Col. Peter Glen Ipong, along with 20 of his personnel, tested negative for gunpowder residue in connection with the killing of Barangay Captain Oscar “Dodong” Bucol Jr.
SITG-BUCOL spokesperson PLt. Col. Venus Ortuyo said the paraffin test results cover Ipong’s bodyguards and intelligence personnel, all of whom were subjected to the procedure to ensure a fair and thorough investigation. Ipong was also transferred to the Police Holding Area Office while the probe is ongoing.
Ortuyo added that investigators currently have no established persons of interest, though the task group continues to pursue leads in the November 25 shooting that claimed the life of Bucol. The barangay captain was gunned down around 9 p.m. inside the garage of his residence at Don Lorenzo Subdivision in Barangay Tres de Mayo.
As the investigation progresses, a separate controversy has erupted involving former Davao del Sur Vice Governor Marc Cagas.
The Digos City Police Station has filed Alarm and Scandal, Grave Threat, and Direct Assault charges against Cagas before the Digos City Prosecutor’s Office. The complaint stems from an incident on the night officers were investigating the Bucol killing, where Cagas allegedly confronted, cursed at, obstructed, and threatened responding policemen.
The charges were formally filed on Friday, November 28.
Authorities reiterated that the probe into Bucol’s death remains active, and the public is urged to avoid speculation as investigators continue piecing together the events surrounding the barangay captain’s assassination.