CURIOUS CASE | PNP assures fair probe in dead artist’s case, billionaire’s son involvement

September 22, 2021 , 03:15 PM

(September 22, 2021) – The Philippine National Police (PNP) promised to ensure fairness in investigating the death of a young artist who was found unconscious inside a hostel in La Union last Saturday, PNP chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar said on Wednesday.

Eleazar also encouraged the public to avoid issuing unfounded speculations about the death of Bree Jonson, a 30-year-old painter, while physical examinations and other pertinent tests are still ongoing. She was declared dead at the hospital.

“We commit that we will continue to update you on the progress of the investigation,” said Eleazar in a statement. “At the same time, we assure our kababayan of fairness in the conduct of the investigation in the interest of truth and justice.”

Local investigators in La Union have finished conducting an autopsy on Jonson’s remains but they are still in the process of wrapping up the histopathological examination.

Brig. Gen. Emmanuel Peralta, the regional PNP director, said Jonson died of asphyxia. Police officers were unable to identify scratches or any markings that could indicate signs of struggle but Peralta clarified they could not definitively say if it was suicide or homicide until all procedures are finished.

Jonson’s last known companion was her boyfriend Julian Ongpin, son of billionaire businessman Roberto Ongpin. He tested positive for cocaine and is considered a person of interest in the case. Jonson also tested positive for cocaine.

“Walang fingernail scratches sa katawan o sa mga kamay ni Julian. ‘Yung katawan din ni Brianna ay malinis mula paa, kamay, buong katawan. Kung may markings, ligature markings sa leeg niya,” said Peralta on Ted Failon and DJ Chacha sa Radyo 5.

Peralta added they retrieved 12.6 grams of cocaine from Ongpin’s possession but he was not kept in jail due to the prosecutor’s order.

“The case is not proper for inquest proceedings. The apprehension of the respondent doesn’t fall on any of the instances where warrantless arrests are allowed. Wherefore, in view of ongoing premises, the instant case is filed for purposes of preliminary investigation,” read the prosecutor’s order.

Ongpin claimed that Jonson committed suicide possibly using a small chain but Jonson’s mother disputed it after seeing scratches and wounds on some parts of her body. Ongpin has been placed on an immigration lookout bulletin order, according to Department of Justice (DOJ) secretary Menardo Guevarra, to alert authorities if he intends to leave the country.

Last January, the similar case of Christine Dacera gripped the country as police officers claimed she was raped by her companions in a hotel in Makati. But investigations revealed that the 23-year-old flight attendant, who also allegedly took drugs, died of aortic aneurysm, a natural cause, contradicting the homicide claims.

Eleazar vowed to get to the bottom of the death of Jonson as soon as they can to mete out justice for all those involved.

“Nagtutulungan sa ngayon ang PNP at ang NBI (National Bureau of Investigation) sa pag-iimbestiga ng kasong ito,” said Eleazar.

(PM)

Privacy Statement

Our Privacy Commitment

TV5 Network Inc. values and respects your privacy. We are committed to safeguarding your personal data in compliance with Republic Act No. 10173 or the Data Privacy Act of 2012 and its implementing rules and regulations.

We have developed a Privacy Policy that adopts and observes appropriate standards for personal data protection. While our Privacy Policy sets out the general principles governing the collection, use, and disclosure of our users’ personal information, our Privacy Commitment seeks to inform you more about TV5’s privacy practices.

Why do we collect your personal information (as applicable)?

We may collect and maintain basic information about you as site user of TV5 sites for the following purposes:

To deliver news and updates on current events, sports, esports and entertainment;
To share livestreams of news and sports events;
To understand our viewers’ needs and preferences;
To meet legal and regulatory requirements; and
To perform other processes or disclosures that are required to comply with pertinent laws, rules, or regulations.

Where do we get your personal information?

There are several ways we collect your personal information.

Information that you personally provided.

Most of the personal information we have are those that you have provided us when you:
- Register to our programs or services;
- Inquired, filed a complaint or requested for our services;
- Took part in our research and surveys; and/or
- Became our Partner, Vendor, Contractor or Supplier.

Information we collect during your engagement with us

We also collect information as you use our products and services, like:
- Viewing our websites;
- Activities that are being tracked by our website cookies;
- Calling our hotline;
- Using our apps, websites, and self-service channels and portals; and/or
- Joining our promos, prize raffles, or rewards and loyalty programs.

Information we collect from other sources

Other means of collection of information may be through:
- Our market research initiatives;
- When you visit and use our websites and mobile application; and
- Subsidiaries, affiliates, and third-party business partners to whom you have given consent to share your information to us.

When do we disclose personal information?

There may be instances when we are required to share the information you provided us. In such cases, we ensure that your personal information will be disclosed on a confidential manner, through secure channels and in compliance with the Data Privacy Act and other privacy laws.

We will never share, rent, or sell your personal information to third parties outside of TV5 except in special cases where you have given consent, and in cases described in our privacy policy.

In some instances, we may be required to disclose your personal information to our agents, subsidiaries, affiliates, business partners and other third-party agencies and service providers as part of our regular business operations and for the provision of our programs and services. This means we might share your information with our service providers, contractors, and professional advisers who help us provide our services.

How we protect your personal information

The integrity, confidentiality, and security of your information is important to us. We have implemented technical, organizational, and physical security measures that are designed to protect your information from unauthorized or fraudulent access, alteration, disclosure, misuse, and other unlawful activities.

We also put in effect the following safeguards:

We keep and protect your information using a secured server behind a firewall, encryption and security controls;
We keep your information only for as long as it is necessary for us to (a) provide the products and services that you avail from us, (b) for our legitimate business purposes, (c) to comply with pertinent laws, and (d) for special cases that will require the exercise or defense of legal claims;
We limit the access to your information only to qualified and authorized personnel who are trained to handle your information with strict confidentiality;
We undergo regular audits and rigorous testing of our infrastructure’s security protocols to ensure your data is always protected;
We promptly notify you and the National Privacy Commission when sensitive personal information that may, under the circumstances, be used to enable identity fraud are reasonably believed to have been acquired by an unauthorized person; and
We let you update your information securely to keep our records accurate.

TV5 will not collect, use, or disclose your personal information for any purpose other than the purpose that you may have given your consent for.

What are your choices?

We make sure that we have your consent to continue to collect, use, and disclose your personal information for the purposes that we have identified. We want you to know that you may object or withdraw your consent and/or edit your consent preferences at any time.

If you wish to have access to the personal information in our custody or if you think that the personal information you provided is incomplete, or otherwise inaccurate, you may get in touch with our Data Protection Officer through the contact details provided below. In some instances, we may request for supporting documents or proof before we effect requested changes.

Data Protection Officer
TV5 Network Inc.
Reliance corner Sheridan Streets
Mandaluyong City
tv5dataprivacy@tv5.com.ph

What happens when there are changes in our Policy?

From time to time, we may update our privacy policy and practices to comply with changes in applicable laws and regulatory requirements, adapt to new technologies and protocols, and align with the best practices of the industry.

You will be provided notices if the changes are significant and, if we are required by law, we will obtain your updated consent.