Cops behind lawyer ambush?

LAWYER Erfe del Castillo who survived the ambush in Talisay City, Negros Occidental on December 21 linked some policemen behind the incident which resulted in the death of her partner.

Del Castillo told Sunstar Bacolod yesterday

that the ambush stemmed from the standoff at Metro Inn Hotel in Bacolod City in November last year.

However, she did not mention the names of policemen whom she alleged to be involved in the ambush incident.

Del Castillo is the counsel of Francis Rey Cabuga, one of the stakeholders of the Metro Inn Hotel.

She got involved in the conflict of her client, Francis, and his estranged wife, Catherine Cabuga, also a shareholder of the hotel, when she accompanied her client, who allegedly forced his entry to the hotel which resulted in a 22-hour standoff on 6th Lacson Street, causing a road closure and disruption of traffic.

In December, del Castillo and her partner, Efren Palmares, a former policeman, were on their way to Bacolod City from the Bacolod-silay Airport when they were ambushed by unidentified armed men reportedly on board a sports utility vehicle at the airport access road along Barangay Matab-ang, Talisay City.

The Talisay City Police Station has difficulty identifying the perpetrators and establishing the motive because there were no witnesses who surfaced to help in the investigation.

Despite her initial hesitation to talk to the police regarding the incident, Del Castillo said she already coordinated with the authorities and is willing to provide them with other details that can help them in their investigation.

But she is also open to seeking assistance from the National Bureau of Investigation or other law enforcement agencies for a parallel investigation.

Meanwhile, Chief Superintendent John Bulalacao, director of Police Regional Office (PRO)-6, urged the lawyer to identify the policemen involved in the ambush incident, and submit an affidavit for the filing of the case.

I want to solve this case, he added.

Bulalacao earlier told the media they already have persons of interest but the investigation is still ongoing.

Del Castillo, in response, asked Bulalacao’s assurance of her safety if she reveals the names the policemen.

I learned my lesson already, she said. ”How can I trust them?”

The police are not even acting on any of my requests, she also said.

Del Castillo hopes that the case will be solved and justice will be served to her and her slain partner.*