OFW, daughter among dead in P’que shootout

MANILA, Philippines — One of the fatalities in Friday night’s shootout in a southern Manila suburb was an overseas Filipino worker (OFW) who was not supposed to be on vacation yet, the victim’s wife said on Saturday. In an interview with radio station DZBB, Lilian de Vera said her seafarer husband, Alfredo, intended to come home just before Christmas, but decided to advance his vacation to grant the wish of their 7-year-old daughter to be home for her birthday on November 3. Alfredo de Vera and the daughter he loved so dearly, Leah Alyana, were driving on a sport utility vehicle along Sampaguita Avenue in Parañaque city at about 9:45 p.m. Friday when they were hit at the height of the crossfire between police and suspected members of two robbery gangs. Earlier reports said 17 people were killed but a report by the Philippine National Police (PNP) counted only 16, including 10 robbery suspects, one member of the PNP Special Action Force, a security guard, and four “civilians," including the De Vera father and daughter. Radio reports quoting other police officials said two of the fatalities were security guards. Metro Manila police chief Leopoldo Bataoil ordered an investigation to determine how the “civilians" were killed. "Iniimbestigahan na kung ano ang nangyari talaga. Papasok din dito ang Commission on Human Rights, mayroon ding mga NGOs na makikialam rito (We will be conducting an investigation to find out what really happened. The Commission on Human Rights and several Non- Government Organizations would also be looking into the case)," Bataoil said over radio. Meanwhile, National Police chief Jesus Verzosa vowed to dig deeper into the case. In a statement released Sunday, he said: “I have instructed NCRPO Chief, Director Leopoldo N Bataoil to form an After-Encounter Assessment Committee that will conduct a complete background investigation of the slain suspects and to possible identify other suspects who were able to elude arrest in last night's operation. “The findings of the Committee will form part of intelligence inputs for succeeding operations against organized crime groups. “With the amount of firepower and logistics recovered from the slain suspects, we can say that this particular group is well-organized, and part of the tasks of the NCRPO Committee is to establish the sources of these instruments of crime." Dante Jimenez, chairman of the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC), said he personally knew Alfonso, who was his subordinate when he was still involved in the maritime industry. "Dati kong seaman ‘yang si Alfonso. Napaka-galing na marine engineer niyan. Kaya nung makita ko yung tama niya sa ulo, saka yung sa anak niya ... grabe ang butas sa ulo, napaiyak ako talaga eh (Alfonso used to work for me as a seaman. He was a great marine engineer. So I couldn't help but cry when I saw the gunshot wound on his head and that on his daughter's ... their heads were really severed)," Jimenez said over radio. Jimenez voiced dismay on the crime against the De Veras and three others bystanders that include two security guards and called for the immediate resolution of the incident. "Naaawa ako, nagdudusa talaga ang asawa (Mrs. De Vera). I hate that (the event) had to happen in December. I appeal for an immediate investigation. I suggest na yung mga baril na ginamit nung operasyon ay i-confiscate at i-subject sa ballistic tests para malaman kung kaninong baril ang pumatay sa mag-ama. Tutulong rin kami (VACC) sa imbestigasyon," he added. (I feel sorry for the wife, she is really in grief. I hate that this had to happen in December. I appeal for an immediate investigation. I suggest that the firearms used during the operation should be confiscated and subjected to ballistic tests to find out which group fired the gun that killed the De Veras.) Officers of the National Bureau of Investigation went to the Funeraria Paz shortly after noon on Friday to perform the autopsy on the bodies of victims upon the request of the De Vera family. Rampage In his report, Senior Supt. Jaime D. Calungsod Jr., director of the Southern Police District, said combined operatives from his office and the Highway Patrol Group, Special Action Force, Naval Intelligence Security Force were trailing a suspected armed robbery group on Friday night when the shootout erupted. Calungsod said security forces received a tip that the combined team of the dreaded Waray-Waray and Ozamis Robbery Group operating in Metro Manila and nearby provinces was planning to rob one of the business establishments along Sampaguita Avenue in United Parañaque Subdivision 4. Apparently sensing the surveillance, the heavily armed suspects opened fire, triggering the gunfight along Sampaguita Avenue, said the police report. Metropolitan Manila police chief Leopoldo Bataoil said the gunmen, some armed with M-16 rifles fitted with grenade launchers, thought they had been cornered and fired at everyone in sight. "When they found out they were being trailed ... they went berserk," he said. "They fired all around, including at a flammable tanker beside a warehouse." Calungsod’s report said eight of the dead robbers were killed instantly and two others died in hospital. At least three of the gunmen were able to escape in a car they commandeered after firing a grenade at a gatehouse at the entrance to the community, it added. Seven of the suspects who were on board two maroon and white Toyota Revos with plate numbers WPW 348 and XKL 257 were identified as Avelino Abayaon, Rey Olarte, Ricarte Chaves, Baltazar Decurian, Camilio Pastrana, Dennis Basaig, and Danilo Tranca. The dead SAF officer was identified as PO1 Nixon Vinasoy while the three PNP personnel were recognized as Police Superintendent Eleuterio Gutierrez, Jr. and Police Inspectors Hermogenes Cabe and Erick Roranes. In addition to the De Vera father and daughter victims, a third “civilian" fatality was identified as truck helper Jesiry Vicemayor. In their desperate efforts to escape, the men aimlessly fired their firearms including a grenade launcher that accidentally hit a private subdivision's guard house, immediately killing a security guard on duty and wounding a barangay tanod (village watchman). Four of the suspects were brought to PNP headquarters in Camp Crame for interrogation. The cadavers have been brought to the PNP crime laboratory while wounded PNP personnel have also been brought to the Parañaque Medical Center. Scene of the Crime Operation teams have also reportedly conducted technical investigations in the crime scene. Retrieved from the scene were four M-16 rifles, two M-203 grenade launchers, two caliber 45 pistols, two grenades, a bolt cutter, mallet and assorted magazines and ammunition for M-16 rifles. - GMANews.TV