De Lima wants NBI to probe QC shootings

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said she will order the National Bureau of Investigation to create a team that will look into the two killings in Quezon City, one of which is related to car theft. At a news briefing, De Lima said she will "immediately direct" NBI director Magtanggol Gatdula to conduct a parallel probe into the deaths of Teresa Teaño and Sheryl Sarmiento, who were killed separately last week in Quezon City. The Philippine National Police 's Quezon City Police District (QCPD) is already investigating the two killings. De Lima's order stemmed from the request of Teaño's father, Odon, and Sarmiento's husband, Jonas. The two personally went to the Department of Justice office in Manila for a meeting with De Lima. De Lima likewise called on the local police and Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista to prevent a spate of crimes and car-theft incidents in the city. "They (relatives) are quite alarmed that this is happening in one city, with respect to Quezon City. I think the local government and the police should do something in terms of addressing these killings or preventing these killings," said De Lima. On June 14, Sarmiento was gunned down by armed men just 500 meters away from her home in Fairview, Quezon City. Her killing is believed to be case of mistaken identity because her vehicle's model (Toyota Altis, 2010) and her plate number are almost the same as that of a police colonel who has been receiving death threats. Teaño was killed the following morning, when she just parked her car (Hyundai Accent) in Kamuning, Quezon City. Two unmasked armed men demanded the vehicle's keys but Teaño shouted for help. The gunmen then shot her in the head and neck, and took her vehicle. The car thieves likewise ran over her body before fleeing the scene. — Sophia Dedace/RSJ, GMA News