LIM FAMILY TO ASK FOR AN NBI PROBE

The Lim family is considering asking the help of National Bureau of Investigation in Central Visayas (NBI-7) to investigate the attempt on the life of Wellington Lim close to midnight on Friday.

Jun Fuentes, spokesperson of the Lim family, told Cebu Daily News on Sunday that brothers Peter and Wellington Lim were seriously contemplating sending a letter to NBI-7 for a parallel investigation.

“So the case will be solve immediately,” said Fuentes in a phone interview, to explain why they would want the NBI to join the probe.

The Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) is now in the thick of the investigation into the incident.

Wellington Lim, the brother of controversial businessman Peter Lim, was on board in his vehicle and was heading out of the Infinity Bar KTV and Music Lounge, a establishment he co-owned along Archbishop Reyes Ave., at 11:45 p.m. on Friday when a group of men armed with Armalite rifles drove past on board a white pick up and peppered his vehicle with bullets.

Wellington and his two companions survived the drive-by shooting incident since his vehicle, a black Ford Expedition, was bullet proof, said Peter Lim.

Peter Lim said his brother managed to speed off towards Asia Premiere Residences, a residential condominium at the Cebu I.T. Park in Barangay Lahug, Cebu City, where Wellington has a unit and where he and his companions hid.

However, the guard who was guiding the vehicle out of the parking lot, Wilcon Bucay, 42, took most of the bullets and died in the attack.

Another security guard, George Lambatan, was wounded in the arm; while two German tourists who happened to be passing by at the time of the attack – Pauline Basbach, 20, and Manuel Georrings, 24, were hit in the thigh and arm, respectively.

Clarification

Fuentes said that the Lim brothers believed that having two law enforcement agencies looking into the case would be a lot better as this would be a higher change of getting into the bottom of the slay try.

He said the Lim family was anxious and would want authorities to find the perpetrators since they have no idea who would and why would anyone want to assassinate Wellington.

“We really don’t know who (is or are) behind this,” Fuentes said.

Fuentes clarified that by asking NBI-7, it did not mean that they do not trust the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) to investigate the incident.

In fact, he said, the Lim brothers have been meaning to coordinate with the police after the assassination. However, Wellington is still under state of shock said Fuentes.

Investigators from the CCPO went to see Wellington at his condominium unit on Saturday morning but they went back empty handed as the bar owner reportedly declined to speak to them.

Fuentes, however, said Wellington was traumatized, the reason he was unwilling to speak with anyone outside of his family.

“He (Wellington) was not expecting this to happen. He has no enemies and he has no record or whatsoever he has not done any malice to anybody,” Fuentes said.

He added that the Lim brothers trust to the police and were in fact trying their best to Senior Supt. Joel Doria, the CCPO director, especially to clear the name of Peter Lim.

Fuentes said that Peter was misquoted saying that it was the police who was behind the ambush of his younger brother.

“We wanted to be corrected that he was misquoted. What Mr. Peter Lim said was that it is now the work of the police to solve the problem. It is not that the police is working for the ambush of Wellington,” Fuentes said.

Meanwhile, NBI-7 Director Patricio Bernales said they would be willing to conduct a parallel investigation for as long as a formal request is made to the bureau.

Cooperation

Doria, on the other hand, said in a separate interview that as of Sunday, any of the Lim brothers has not yet coordinated with them.

Doria stressed the police would continue with their investigation with, or without, the cooperation of the Lim brothers.

Doria also maintained that despite the claim of Peter that it was Wellington who was on board the vehicle that was attacked by armed men, the police have yet to identify the victim.

That was the reason why they have been asking for cooperation from the Lim brothers, he said.

“Hindi pa rin natin alam kung sino (We still don’t know who was or were on board that vehicle),” Doria said.

Since the police have not been getting the cooperation of both Lim and the management of the Infinity Bar, Doria said they would be asking the public who have knowledge of or have witnessed the incident to come forward and help them in solving the case.

He said that with his call, some witnesses would come forward to shed light on the incident.

“Open naman ang ating office for those who have knowledge (of the ambush),” Doria said.