Tacloban City —The special investigation task group formed to probe the killing of Calbayog City Mayor Ronaldo Aquino and five others will come up with its first full report on the incident on or before March 16.
Col. Ma. Bella Rentuaya, Philippine National Police (PNP) Eastern Visayas regional office spokesperson, said the report will be completed in time for the scheduled press briefing on the case at the PNP national headquarters.
“Our appeal to the public is to be patient since we are doing everything to gather all facts. It takes time to identify all policemen involved and complete the ballistic examination,” Rentuaya said in a phone interview Friday.
The SITG has so far received the sworn statement of four police officers reportedly involved in the bloody firefight between the camp of the mayor and policemen along Laboyao Bridge in Barangay Lonoy, Calbayog City, Samar at 5:30 p.m. on March 8.
Killed on the spot were Mayor Aquino, his security personnel, his driver, a civilian said to have been caught in the crossfire, and two anti-narcotics policemen.
Based on the police report, Aquino and his aides were heading north on board a white van when one of his security personnel fired at the vans that they allegedly thought were tailing them.
Other vehicles, later identified to be carrying PNP personnel from IMEG (Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group) and DEU (Drug Enforcement Unit), then fired back.
“One of the key objectives of the investigation is to find out if the incident was a shootout or an ambush. We are gathering facts not just from policemen, but from civilians as well who witnessed the incident,” Rentuaya added.
PNP Eastern Visayas regional director Brig. Gen. Rolando De Jesus said in a radio interview Thursday that all police officers involved in the incident are accounted for, but the official declined to disclose the numbers.
“All policemen involved are now under the custody of their respective commanders and have submitted their affidavit regarding the incident,” De Jesus added.
Personnel of the PNP Scene of the Crimes Operations are still collating all the evidence obtained from the encounter site, according to the official.