THE National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has summoned Julian Roberto Ongpin, a son of billionaire and former trade minister Roberto Ongpin, to shed light on the death of his girlfriend Bree Jonson while they were together in a La Union resort on September 18, 2021.
This was disclosed by Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra who said Ongpin would have to give his statement with regard to the circumstances of Jonson’s death.
“Julian Ongpin himself was subpoenaed by the NBI to appear on October 6 and give his own statement regarding the death of Bree Jonson,” Guevarra said.
Based on initial evidence, Ongpin was reportedly the last person seen with his girlfriend while she was still alive.
Ongpin allegedly found Jonson hanging from the bathroom of the Flotsam and Jetsam Resort in La Union, prompting him to seek assistance in bringing the latter to a hospital but was declared dead on arrival.
The police also allegedly found 12.6 grams of cocaine from Ongpin and filed possession of illegal drugs charges against him.
The drug case is now under preliminary investigation at the Department of Justice (DOJ) main office in Manila.
This developed as Jonson’s legal team announced that it has settled the issue with the Philippine National Police (PNP) with regard to the turn over of the victim’s organs to the NBI.
The Sunga, Salandanan and Ampuan Law Offices recounted that on September 20, the PNP-Region 1 Crime Laboratory conducted the first autopsy of Jonson and some organs from the body including her trachea.
On September 23, the law firm said the NBI started its parallel investigation and conducted the second autopsy of the victim where it was declared that some of her major organs were missing, specifically the trachea, heart and stomach.
Accordingly, the law firm sent a request to the PNP Region 1 Crime Lab and PNP National Crime Lab for the release of the organs and to turnover the same to the NBI.
On October 1, the law firm said they received a letter through e-mail from Police Brigadier Gen. Pascual Muñoz Jr., the director of the PNP Crime Lab, denying their request.
The law firm claimed that Muñoz told them that Jonson’s organs would not be released without a court order.
“Clearly, Bree’s family was well aware of the situation. It was because of PNP’s initial stance not to release the organs without a court order that made Bree’s grieving family publicly seek for help. It was only after Mrs. Jonson urged [PNP chief] General [Guillermo] Eleazar on the propriety of turning over the organs, and after public pressure was apparent that the instructions to release them were made. When Police General Eleazar instructed on releasing the organs, no other statement on the issue was made by the family,” Jonson’s camp said.
But the law firm added that despite this incident, the family of Jonson “genuinely thanks” Eleazar for his intervention and granting the request of the victim’s family.
“Amidst all the noise, we do not doubt his sincere desire to ferret out the truth and attain justice for Bree Jonson,” it said.