Man, adopted son killed inside home

Dead on eve of Father’s Day: One of two victims had drug record but refused to yield to authorities

An elderly man and his adopted son were shot dead on the eve of Father’s Day by masked men who barged into their house in Quezon City.

According to the police, the son, who had a drug history, failed to surrender to authori- ties under the government’s “Oplan Tokhang” campaign.

Francisco Cariño Remedillo, 68, and his adopted son, Marlon Tamayo dela Cruz, 36, were killed on Saturday night after two men entered their home and shot them several times, said SPO2 Cristituto Zaldarriaga, desk officer of the Quezon City Police District’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit.

Three other men who arrived with the suspects stayed outside and served as lookouts.

“They [victims] died there in their home after the gunmen shot them in different parts of the body,” Zaldarriaga added.

He said that witnesses described the suspects as wearing face masks, black ball caps, black long sleeve shirts and black pants.

Zaldarriaga said the shooting happened around 9:30 p.m. on Saturday at the victims’ house at 74 Kasipagan St. in Barangay Batasan Hills.

The five men arrived in the area on two motorcycles without license plates, according to witnesses.

Zaldarriaga said Remedillo’s wife, Arseña, witnessed the incident. She said their adopted son, Dela Cruz, had been arrested before for illegal drugs although he was later released.

However, when the government launched its antidrug campaign, he did not voluntarily surrender to barangay officials.

Her husband, on the other hand, was never involved in drugs and “did not even smoke cigarettes,” Arseña told the police.

“We still can’t say if this is drug-related. The case is still under investigation by PO3 Marlon dela Vega,” Zaldarriaga said.