THE family of Calbayog City Mayor Ronald Aquino has rejected the claim of the Philippine National Police (PNP) that the mayor was killed in a shootout and the policemen were not aware that the mayor was aboard the van.
Mark, the mayor's eldest son, said in a radio interview that witnesses related how the gunmen had made sure the mayor was dead when the gunfight ended on March 8.
Mark said witnesses alleged that one of the men looked inside the van and was heard as saying, "okay na, patay na (it's okay, he's dead)."
"Ibig sabihin kilala nila si mayor...Intentional ang pagpatay nila kay mayor," he said. (This meant that they knew who the mayor was. The killing was intentional.)
Mark said his father sustained 21 gunshot wounds in the upper body based on the autopsy report.
The gunmen turned out to be policemen from the Integrity Monitoring Enforcement Group (IMEG) and Samar Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit (PDEU).
The mayor, his police escort and driver, two PDEU policemen and a civilian were killed in what the mayor's group claimed was an ambush perpetrated by policemen.
Police, however, said it was a shootout and the mayor's group had fired the first shot.
Mark questioned the police claim that they were not aware that the mayor was inside the van.
He noted that the van is a government-issued vehicle and the mayor had taken the same route every day in going to and from work.
Mark said witnesses also related that the vehicles used by the gunmen had frequented the area days before the incident.
"Siguro inaaral nila o kine-casing nila 'yung lugar na iyon kung saan halos araw-araw dumaraan si mayor," Mark said.
On the day of the incident, Mark said the witnesses related that two vehicles were positioned on both ends of the Laboyao Bridge in Barangay Lonoy.
Upon seeing the van carrying Mayor Aquino, the men inside these vehicles allegedly put on bonnets.
The mayor was then on his way to Mark's birthday celebration.
Mark said one of the vehicles rammed the back of the mayor's van. The men from the two vehicles then got off the vehicles and peppered the mayor's van with bullets.
"Tatlong wave ang pagbaril nila sa Papa ko. Una po apat na tao ang bumabaril. And then nung maubos ang bala, nag change mag sila, tapos 'yung tatlo naman ang bumabaril," he said.
"Si Papa ang nakaganti. Ang personal aide niya tinamaan sa ulo. Buhay po. Yun po ang magpapatunay ng buong storya," he added.
Mark also questioned the license plate attached to one of the vehicles. He asked why the policemen from IMEG and PDEU hid when the local police responded.
"Ang pinagtataka ko po. Kung totoong legitimate operation 'yun, ano ang ginagawa ng mga pulis doon bago dumating si mayor at bakit po sila nagtago nung dumating ang mga rumespondeng pulis?" he said.
Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Debold Sinas said IMEG and PDEU policemen were just passing by the area as they were conducting red teaming operations to ensure the preparedness of police stations.
Sinas maintained that the group of Mayor Aquino was the first to fire shots at his men.
The PNP Internal Affairs Service has launched an investigation on the possible lapses of the police. (VoxPop Philippines)