Slay try on MMDA exec work-related – police

MANILA, Philippines – Local authorities on Monday said the alleged attempt to kill Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) sidewalk clearing operations head Roberto "Bobby" Esquivel may be related to his line of work. In his report on QTV’s Balitanghali, GMA News’ Jiggy Manicad said that probers confirmed that the armed men who fired upon Esquivel’s vehicle went for the MMDA official as their target. The report said that after staging the ambush, the suspects left leaflets with a "Partisano" letterhead. The police said Partisano is a leftist urban hit squad. Among those indicated in the leaflets were complaints against Esquivel’s supposed "harsh" demolition operations in Metro Manila. But the police said they are not discounting other possible motives for, and other possible suspects in the ambush that killed Esquivel’s driver and wounded his son. The MMDA official was not in the Mitsubishi Pajero (XSX-250) vehicle that the gunmen fired upon at the corner of Balagtas and Juan Luna Streets in Chrysanthemum Village in San Pedro town, Laguna on Monday morning. Citing testimonies of witnesses, the police said six men were spotted at a “gotohan" (rice soup eatery) near the crime scene past 5 a.m. The gunmen then riddled the vehicle with bullets at 7:15 a.m. when it passed at the corner of Balagtas and Juan Luna streets. Upon seeing that Esquivel’s son was hit, the suspects were heard as saying "Di ito ang ating target [This is not our target]." But witnesses said the suspects finished the driver off deliberately. Retired police Superintendent Arturo Castillo earlier said the gunmen opened the window of the driver's side door and grabbed the driver by the neck, then finished him off with a shot to the head with cal-.45 pistol. The report added the police are now in hot pursuit of the suspects while Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) continue to gather evidence at the crime site. Esquivel’s son, meanwhile, is being treated at the Asian Hospital Medical Center in Muntinlupa City. The television report said he is already in stable condition. As of this posting, GMANews.TV is trying to contact the elder Esquivel but the MMDA official has yet to answer the calls. - GMANews.TV