Philippine National Police chief Police Gen. Oscar Albayalde yesterday ordered a manhunt against the still unidentified assailants who ambushed the convoy of former Pangasinan Gov. and Rep. Amado Espino Jr. last Wednesday afternoon.
PNP spokesperson Police Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac said Albayalde has directed the Police Regional Office 1 (Ilocos) to immediately arrest the suspects, expedite the investigation, and file criminal charges to give justice to the victims.
Banac also said the PNP strongly condemns the attack against Espino and his bodyguards, who were fired upon by unidentified assailants around 4:30 p.m. while traversing an intersection onboard a Toyota Innova and Land Cruiser in Barangay Magtaking, San Carlos City, Pangasinan.
Espino and four others were wounded while Police Patrolman Richard Esguerra died on the spot.
Pangasinan information officer Orpheus Velasco said Espino sustained bullet wounds but is now in stable condition after undergoing treatment.
Police Col. Redrico Maranan, Pangasinan police director, said two suspected get-away vehicles of the assailants were recovered – a red Hyundai hatchback in Barangay Cobol in San Carlos City and a metallic blue Ford Everest in Barangay Pasima in Malasiqui, Pangasinan.
“There were high-powered firearms in the vehicles and the investigators are processing the (pieces of) evidence,” he said.
Maranan added that closed-circuit television cameras around the area and the dash camera of the vehicles, along with eyewitnesses, are being investigated by the authorities.
He said a special investigation task group, called SITG Espino, was formed with the joint efforts of the Pangasinan police, Crime Investigation and Detection Group Ilocos, and PRO 1, among others, to conduct an in-depth investigation into the case.
“Rest assured we are doing everything to solve this case,” Maranan said. He said as requested, police are providing security to the family of Espino following the ambush.
Malacañang has condemned the “felonious” attack on Espino and vowed to bring the perpetrators to justice.
“We condemn this felonious act as we believe that any unjustified killing has no place in a civilized society like ours,” presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said.
“We guarantee that police authorities are already on top of the situation and will spare no effort in finding the perpetrators of this crime and ascertaining their motive for consummating the same,” he said.
Panelo said that news about Espino’s ambush has reached the Office of the President. (PNA, Liezle Basa Inigo, Aaron Recuenco, and Genalyn Kabiling)
