LOCAL authorities are conducting extensive investigation on the whereabouts of Superintendent Maria Cristina Nobleza before she was arrested in order to build up a case against her and for them to obtain a search warrant from the court.
Police Senior Inspector Ma. Teresita Gaspan, spokesperson of the Davao City Police Office, said their investigation is still ongoing to gather enough evidence for the court to issue a search warrant, allowing the police to raid the room she's checked-in in one of the hotels in the city.
Earlier this week, components of improvised explosive devices, firearms and ammunitions were retrieved inside the rented apartment of Nobleza and Abu Sayaff member Reneirlo Dongon in Panglao, Bohol and Malaybalay, Bukidnon.
Thus, authorities are exerting extra effort to find witnesses that would give a lead to their investigation to back their request of a search warrant.
"Our operatives in intelligence branch still continuously monitoring ang tinitirhan sa (the residence) Davao City," she said.
Gaspan added that their intelligence are now conducting background checks on the possible links of other officials to Nobleza as well as her activities while still in Davao City.
"Kung merong makitang probable cause na ma-implicate sa ina-accuse sa kaniya, pwedeng applyan ng search warrant sa ating authority (If a probable cause can be implicated to her accusation, our authorities can apply a search warrant)," she said.
Gaspan said the law states that "No search warrant or warrant of arrest shall be issued except upon probable cause to be determined personally by the judge after examination under oath or affirmation of the complainant and the witnesses he may produce, and particularly describing the place to be searched and the persons or things to be seized."
So far, Gaspan said there are no results yet from their investigations to determine other properties of Nobleza.
Nobleza was assigned in the Regional Crime Laboratory Office in Davao City last month, March 13.