DAANBANTAYAN Mayor Vicente Loot was aghast by accusations that he staged his own ambush last Sunday morning at the Maya Port.
“Kung mag-drama ka iapil nimo imong mga apo? And what will I get kung mag ‘ambush me’ ko? Dili ko boang para lang isugal ang kinabuhi sa akong pamilya,” said Loot.
(If you will stage a drama, are you going to endanger the lives of your grandchildren. And what will I get in an ‘ambush me’? I am not insane to put the lives of my family in danger.)
Loot said he knew the people behind these internet posts that he staged the ambush himself.
Loot said his children and grandchildren were traumatized by the incident.
“We are somewhat okay now. We are just thankful for the added security,” Loot said.
Police Regional Director Chief Supt. Robert Quenery said he ordered a security detail on the family.
“The directives were to conduct a thorough investigation about the incident, identify the suspects and bring them before the powers of justice,” Quenery said.
Investigation
Quenery said he has ordered the creation of a Special Investigation Task Group (SITG) led by the police together with the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), Crime Laboratory and other special units.
“We are looking at all angles including the alleged staging of the ambush incident,” Cebu Police Provincial Office (CPPO) Director Manuel Abrugena told Cebu Daily News in a phone interview.
Abrugena said they are still investigating the incident and that they have zero leads as to the suspects and the motives.
“We are still gathering all accounts from the victims and the witnesses,” Abrugena added.
Mayor Loot, however, said that he is confident that the investigators will solve the mystery behind the incident.
Since he had been a police officer for many years and based on his experience, he said his assailants were “professionals.”
He had earlier said that he knew who were behind the attack and stated that this is related to the issue of his alleged drug links.
He told Cebu Daily News that he already told the CPPO director and the PRO-7 deputy regional director for operations, who is the lead officer for the investigation of the case, about the information that he had on the people behind the slay attempt.
“I already told them half of what I know about this. Maybe if their investigation is somewhat leading to what I know, then I’ll give the remaining half of the information,” said Loot.
Despite what happened, Loot still plans to run for reelection next year.
He said that he will not let this incident affect him and his work as mayor of Daanbantayan. /With Benjie Talisic and PIT Intern Marthy John Lubiano