Task force formed to probe killing of Rosales siblings in Makati

Authorities have formed a task force to look into the killing of Lauren Kristel Rosales and Petronio Rosales Jr., the siblings shot to death in Makati within months of each other.

Task Force Rosales vowed to investigate all possible motives to capture the suspects and uncover the truth behind the killings, GMA News' Von Aquino reported on Balitanghali on Thursday.

They eliminated the possibility of illegal drugs as a motive as both siblings were not on the Philippine National Police's watchlist at the time of their deaths.

The police are instead considering family, money, and love as possible angles for the sibling's deaths.

Lauren was killed inside a jeep in Makati by unknown gunmen on motorcycles in July while her brother was killed outside a restobar in the city by another set of gunmen on Wednesday after months of gathering info on his sister's case.

The Rosales family thanked the Makati police for the formation of the task force and pleaded with President Rodrigo Duterte to help speed up the investigation.

"Mahirap para sa aming pamilya dahil walang linaw sa amin kung sino ang may kagagawan ng mga krimen na ito sa kanila. Gayunpaman, nagpapasalamat kami sa Makati Police sa pagbuo ng task force para malutas ang kaso," the family stated. 

Meanwhile, an anti-crime watchdog said it will help the Rosales family in seeking justice for their slain relatives.

"Mag-e-extend kami ng assistance because in four months time po first time in the history po namin ito nangyari sa VACC na dalawang member ng family pinatay heinously ng para umanong guns-for-hire," Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) founding chairman Dante Jimenez said in an interview at the Department of Justice.

Jimenez challenged the police "to look deeper into this case," especially that it happened under the Duterte administration, which pledged to suppress illegal drugs and criminality. — Rie Takumi/Virgil Lopez/RSJ/VVP, GMA News