By GLAZYL MASCULINO
BACOLOD CITY – The family of slain JO1 Jayvee Jason Vargas has appealed to President Duterte and Vice President Leni Robredo for justice.
Vargas was killed in an ambush in Barangay Cabug here last Friday by unidentified armed men, seven months after he survived the ambush attempt on his life at Bacolod Real Estate Development Corp. port, this city, early this year.
His mother, Yvonne, in a press briefing at the Negros Press Club here yesterday, sought justice for the death of her son, who was a personnel of the Metro Bacolod District Jail in Barangay Handumanan, this city.
The victim was driving a white Mitsubishi Strada on his way home after fetching his father, a retired jail officer, and his three other relatives from a cockpit in Barangay Pahanocoy, this city, when a blue Toyota Innova, a pick-up truck, and three motorcycles tailed them and fired their high-powered firearms at them.
Vargas died on the spot due to head injuries while one of his three cousins was injured. Police recovered from the scene more than 70 fired bullets and 100 fired cartridges of M16, M14, .9mm caliber, and .45 caliber.
“Tulungan niyo po kami (Vice President Leni) na makamit ang hustisya sa aming anak. Wala po kaming kasalanan at ginawang masama. Bakit ganun? Bakit pinatay? Brutal po ang pagpatay,” Yvonne said. “Naniniwala pa rin ako sayo sir (President Duterte). Tulungan mo kami sir ma solve ang case. Bakit po pinatay ang anak ko na inosente. Hindi po siya criminal,” she added.
“Sobra-sobra po ang pagpatay sa kanya at hindi po karapatdapat iyon. Inosente po ang anak ko.”
Police believe that the unidentified armed men were possibly members of an organized group or hired gunmen, but they cannot yet establish if somebody was really behind the attack because they have no lead yet on the identities of the perpetrators.
Though police are looking closely into drugs as a motive due to the victim and his father’s alleged previous link to the illegal drugs trade, the family maintained that those were just accusations and there’s no proof.
“Puro issue pero wala namang proweba. Dapat tinotokhang, dapat may buy-bust, pero wala naman. Naniniwala pa rin ako sa imbestigasyon ng pulis,” Yvonne said.
Police are also investigating if the killing has something to do with his work or personal life. Vargas was supposed to report for duty in Iloilo yesterday.