Police reconstruct Reluya ambush as 2-week deadline to solve case nears

Policemen, on Jan. 24, 2019, reenact the Jan. 22 ambush in Talisay City that wounded San Fernando Mayor Lakambini “Neneth” Reluya and killed her husband Ricardo and two others. |Contributed photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines—Police today reconstructed the crime scene of the ambush of San Fernando Mayor Lakambini “Neneth” Reluya that took the lives of her husband and two of her aides while they were on board a van along the national highway in Barangay Linao, Talisay City on Tuesday, January 22.

According to Superintendent Virgilio Bayan-on, the spokesperson for the Special Investigation Task Group (SITG) Reluya of the Cebu Provincial Police Office (CCPO), the crime scene was reconstructed on Thursday afternoon, January 24, based on the accounts of witnesses and of the survivors.

“Katong atong reenactment, ang nag-iniate gyod ato ang SITG based sa nakuha nato nga statements sa atong mga witnesses. Ang purpose sa atong pagre-enact is para mareview nato dun sa pag-execute sa ambush sa mayor,” said Bayon-on.

Mayor Reluya survived the incident along with two personal bodyguards, and have been recuperating in the hospital since the incident.

But three others did not make it –  Councilor Ricardo “Nonoy” Reluya, the mayor’s husband and the town’s Association of Barangay Councils (ABC) president;  Alan Bayot, the driver; and Ricky Monterona, the head of the town’s  Local Economic and Investment Promotion Office (LEIPO). 

Read Cebu’s entertainment industry mourns death of “humble, friendly” Ricky Monterona 

Read Politics eyed as motive in mayor’s ambush

Bayon-on said that the statements of the survivors were being matched with the statements of the witnesses to create a better depiction of the ambush.

the SITG has also started reviewing footages of  closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras around the area to identify the plate number of the vehicle of the perpetrators, who were seen carrying high-powered firearms when they waylaid the mayor.

“Ato nang gihatag sa anti-cybercrime unit kay sila na ang moprocess ang footage, mapa enhance para maklaro ang plate number sa sakyanan. Nagfollow-up na ta sa atong mga persons on interest para maidentify na nato ang mastermind ug perpetuators. But dili pa nato maingon kung pila na ka persons of interest kay nagsige pa tag investigate,” said Bayon-on.

The CPPO only have eleven days left to finish the investigation in the wake of the  directive of Philippine National Police Director General, Oscar Albayalde for them to solve the case in two weeks.

Read PRO-7 accepts challenge to solve San Fernando mayor’s ambush in two weeks

Bayon-on said that as much as they were working hard to finish the case on time, he assured the public that the police will not resort to arresting a fall guy just to solve the case.

“Wala, wala tay fall guy. Sa atong investigation ato gyud pangitaon kung kinsa ang mastermind ug ang perpetuators. Dili ta modakop og inosente,” assured Bayon-on. /elb