Vinluan: Misamis crime group maybe behind Clarin mayor’s ambush-slay

Mayor David Navarro of Clarin, Misamis Occidenta is covered in blanted where he was shot dead l  along M. Velez Street, Cebu City on October 25, 2019. CDN Digital photo | Alven Marie A. Timtim

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) will be tracing the death threats received by slain Clarin Mayor David Navarro  from a Misamis Occidental-based crime group before his arrest and death in Cebu City, as  the group could be the perpetrator in the crime.

This was announced today by Police Colonel Gemma Vinluan, chief of CCPO,  who heads the Special Investigation Task Group (SITG) Navarro  that was ordered formed by Police Brigadier General Valeriano De Leon, director of the Regional Police Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7).

Among the information the SITG will look into is the organised crime group based in Misamis Occidental that Navarro said was named by the consultants of Navarro to have been sending threats to the mayor.

“Meron mga grupo daw dun allegedly na nagbigay na ng mga death threats or they have received threats. Si mayor mismo ang nag receive ng threats galing sa mga certain groups doon,” said Vinluan.

(There was a certain group who allegedly sent death threats that were directly received by Mayor.)

However, Vinluan said they still could not name the group  while the information was still being verified.

For now, Vinluan said, they would be checking the closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage near the area M. Velez Street in Cebu City where  Navarro was waylaid and killed.

Navarro was on board a police patrol car in the company of his sister Princess, several aides and policemen from the CCPO on Friday afternoon, October 25, 2019, when a group of around ten armed that appeared to be waiting for the police convoy to pass by, stopped the patrol car,  pulled the mayor out the vehicle, made him face the ground and repeated fired shots at him.

The daring ambush left the mayor as the lone fatality. Four other persons were wounded in the attack.

Police Corporal Eutemio Catalan and Police Chief Master Sergeant Roberto Sanoy, both from the Abellana Police Station who were with Navarro inside the patrol car, were among the wounded.

While those in the Hyundai van tailing behind the patrol car, which were boarded by  other escorts of Navarro, was also targeted by the perpetrators, wounded John Baylon and Peter Conrad Tejero.

Read more: Ten armed men involved in Clarin mayor’s ambush-slay, says policeman

Vinluan revealed that the mayor was shot in the head at close range.

There were at least 38 empty shells of M16 rifle and 25 empty shells of .45 caliber found at the crime scene.

Police caught by surprise

The assailants fled as quickly as the came.  Police Master Sergeant Carlo Balasoto, who was with Navarro inside the police car, told reporters that the attack happened so fast that they were unable to retaliate.

Vinluan supported the statement of her officer saying they were “caught by surprise,” as they were not expecting the ambush.

“Hindi naman namin sya HVT (high value target) dito sa Cebu City.  Hindi rin namin alam na nandito na sya Tuesday pa lang (He was not in our HVT  list in Cebu City. Hindi we did not know he was already in the city since Tuesday),” said Vinluan.

The HVT was in apparent reference to information that Navarro was in President Rodrigo Duterte’s narco-politicians’ list. Months before his death, Navarro had been trying to clear his name linking him to the illegal drugs trade in his province.

Vinluan said they only knew Navarro when the incident about the his mauling a massage therapist erupted online on Thursday, October 24.

The mayor was being brought by the police to the Cebu City Prosecutors Office to face the complaint lodged against him when he was killed. The incident happened just meters away from the city’s prosecutor’s office.

Read more: Massage therapist files complaint of physical injuries against mayor of Clarin, Misamis Occidental

Family not interested to file charges

According to Vinluan, the Navarro seemed not interested in filing a case against the perpetrators.

Vinluan disclosed that she advised the family to put the their decision on an affidavit stating their disinterest.

“Kasi that will also tell everyone na we want to investigate but if they don’t wan to cooperate, how can we do it?” said Vinluan.

Further actions to take

Upon conducting further investigation into the background of Navarro, Vinluan said they were able to confirm that learned the mayor was among the HVT  personalities listed in President Rodrigo Duterte’s narco list of politicians and high profiled persons involved in illegal activities.

However, she said the investigation will focus on his background including the previous threats he has received before the incident last Wednesday.

All the possible angles that could have caused his killing,  such as the business he operated and his political activities, would also be taken into account in the probe, she added. /elb