“GET the background and investigate thoroughly the circumstances of the two armed men, who were believed to be hitmen, who were caught in Barangay Pardo on Tuesday night.”
This was the order of Cebu City Police Office Director, Senior Supt. Royina Garma to the Pardo Police with regard to Tommy Oyangorin and Mamerto Abellana from Barangay Inayawan, who were caught with a .45 caliber pistol and a .38 caliber pistol while they were standing at a street corner in the barangay on Tuesday night.
Garma also ordered Pardo police to look into the two as alleged hitmen after it was found out that in the mobile phone of one of the suspects, a text message was found that they were waiting for someone that they allegedly planned to execute.
“Nakita nila sa cellphone na meron silang tutumbahin, actually ginaatangan nalang nila na muagi. (They found in their cellphones that they were going to execute someone, and actually they were just waiting for him to pass by),” said Garma.
She also belied reports that the two armed men were members or are connected with the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in Central Visayas (CIDG-7).
Garma said that she asked Supt. Lito Patay, CIDG-7 chief, about the two men, who were reported to be CIDG assets, but Patay denied knowing the two men.
But Garma said that they were companions of CIDG-7 officers, who are no longer with the CIDG-7.
“They mentioned officers that used to be assigned here, but these officers were already relieved,” said Garma.
Garma withheld the name of the suspected victim for his protection and safety, and will investigate why he was targeted.
As for the rumors about the suspects being CIDG operatives, the City Director said that it would have been likely for them to say that they had police protectors and that if the hit would have gone through, it would have been blamed on the police again.
Last Tuesday, Pardo police officers chanced upon Oyangorin and Abellana standing on a street corner.
When police questioned the men and frisked them, that was when they found that the two men were armed with handguns.