Julian Ongpin, son of prominent businessman Roberto Ongpin, has refuted the police charge of his altercation with the famous painter, Bree Jonson, before her death.
He was the last companion of Bree in La Union before she was found dead on September 18.
He claimed they did not have an argument that day, a police official said.
Julian said he was stopping Bree from drinking wine, according to Police Regional Office 1 Regional Director Police Brigadier General Emmanuel Peralta.
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A CCTV footage showed both of them outside the room they were renting at a resort in La Union.
Julian also told the police that they had plans to leave the country, but his girlfriend tried to stop him.
The Philippine National Police (PNP) procured CCTV footage that showed Bree and Julian outside their rented room.
PNP chief Police General Guillermo Eleazar said it was on the wee hours of September 18 that Julian went outside the room and sat down on the stairs while drinking red wine.
Bree then followed Julian and talked to him and she drank wine and went back inside “like they have an altercation with each other,” Eleazar said.
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“Ang nakalagay doon ‘like,’ like ang kanilang ano. So, well of course, kagaya nga ng sinabi natin wala naman tayong [conclusion]… Ito kasi kinuha lang yung bandang huli na magkasama sila,” the national police chief said.
Bree’s mother, Sally, was not convinced that Julian was not involved in her daughter’s death and has sought action against him for allegedly using illegal drugs.
“Panagutan niya ang kasalanan niya sa paggamit ng drugs and para matigil na niya, dahil matagal na siyang gumagamit ng drugs. Baka meron pa siyang masaktang panibagong tao, babae, at mayroon na namang panibagong ina na iiyak,” she said.
Julian is facing drug complaints after police recovered cocaine in the resort room, but was later released. (AW)
