PROBE BODY TO LOOK INTO AMBUSH
Investigators from special investigation task group inspected the scene of ambush at Daanbantayan port
A Special Investigation Task Group (SITG) was formed by the Police Regional Office (PRO) 7 to look into the ambush of Daanbantayan Mayor Vicente Loot.
Investigators from the SITG inspected the New Maya Port in Daanbantayan past 4 p.m. yesterday, eight hours after the attempt on Loot’s life.
Police also reenacted the attack. Supt. Virgilio Bayon-on, Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO) spokesperson, said they are considering all angles, but they cannot pin down a single motive behind the attack for now.
The SITG is composed of investigating units from Police Regional Office (PRO) 7, CPPO, and the Criminal Investigation and Detec- tion Group 7.
Bayon-on said they have talked to witnesses, including government employees assigned in the port, motorcycle drivers and other persons who were present at the time of the attack. Some witnesses gave conflicting accounts. Some said three armed men went out of the getaway vehicle, a white van. Others said that only two came out of the vehicle. Other witnesses said the numbers on the license plate were “6912” and not “5884.”
“We will tie up the loose ends of the witnesses’ accounts,” he said. Bayon-on was with Senior Supt. Dennis Agustin, the SITG supervisor, in inspecting the port, which has a surveillance camera.
Police Regional Office (PRO) 7 Director Chief Supt. Robert Quenery said he has directed CPPO Director Senior Supt. Manuel Abrugena to provide security to Loot and his family.
Bayon-on said the police escort assigned to Loot was pulled out because of the elections.
An official of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said he cannot discount the possibility that the ambush attempt on Loot yesterday may be related to today’s Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections.
Lawyer Lionel Marco Castillano, Cebu provincial election supervisor, told SunStar Cebu that though further investigation is still needed, they can’t discount the possibility the shooting was election-related since Loot is also supporting candidates for the barangay elections in his town.
Despite the incident, Castillano said they’ve yet to receive recommendations to declare Daanbantayan as an election hot spot.
He said that even without the declaration, the PRO 7 has already sent at least 30 personnel of its augmentation force and members of the quick response team to ensure that the polls there are peaceful.
Castillano said that a quick reaction force was also sent by the Armed Forces of the Philippines Central Command to Daanbantayan.
Quenery also said additional police officers were sent to the town for today’s elections.
“Despite the incident, we foresee that the elections in Daanbantayan will push through peacefully,” Quenery assured.
Police Regional Office (PRO) 7 Director Chief Supt. Robert Quenery said he has directed CPPO Director Senior Supt. Manuel Abrugena to provide security to Loot and his family.