LOOT AMBUSH
UNTIL now, police are facing a blank wall as to the identities of the persons who ambushed Daanbantayan Mayor Vicente Loot and his family last May 13.
And without any witnesses who could accurately describe the gunmen, it is possible the suspects would remain unidentified.
The Special Investigation Task Group (SITG) Maya, which is composed of various police units, was created to investigate the attack against Loot, whose van, boarded by his family was peppered with bullets.
“Wala pa tay nakuha nga exact identity sa mga perpetrators. Dili pa ta ka determine as of now kun kinsa ni sila,” said Supt. Virgilio Bayon-on, Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO) spokesperson.
(We haven’t gotten the exact identity of the perpetrators. As of now we still cannot determine who they are.)
Loot and his family had just docked at the New Port Roro in Barangay Maya, Daanbantayan, when they were attacked by at least five gunmen, a day before the barangay election.
Two drivers, one porter and the nanny of Loot’s grandchildren were wounded.
Bayon-on said the gunmen’s faces were covered with masks or handkerchiefs
“Ang storya sa mga witnesses nag mask daw. So lisod ang composite kay wala ta kahibaw unsa g’yud ang description (of their faces),” Bayon-on said.
(Witnesses said the suspects were wearing masks. So it is very difficult to get a composite of the gunmen since we do not have the description of their faces)
In earlier interviews, Loot said he knew who were behind the attack, and said it could be because of a personal grudge against him.
In an interview with Cebu Daily News, Loot reiterated that these are people who want to pin him down after he was tagged by President Rodrigo Duterte as a drug coddler and drug lord.
He added that he knew these people to be “eager beavers” and said he believed that there were police officers involved.
“We call them eager beavers. I know, we know who are these eager beavers and the authorities know them. Sigurado ko (I am sure of that),” Loot said.
Bayon-on however said these are just ‘hearsay’ and unless there is evidence that will connect the ambush as a work of police operatives, it will remain as hearsay.
“Base sa mga information nga naay police nga involved hearsay pa. So ipa-validate pa na nato,” Bayon-on said. (Based on the information that there were police officers involved it’s still hearsay. We need to validate it first)