SUSPECTS in the ambush of businesswoman Debbie Yu and her driver fell ill after drinking bottles of juice a visitor gave them last Wednesday.
Police and jail officers are still verifying if anyone tried to poison Marites Velasco, the alleged mastermind, and her husband Johnjoy Palo-Palo, who has been tagged as one of the lookouts.
They complained of abdominal pains after drinking some of the three bottles of juice Palo-Palo’s mother brought last Wednesday, when she visited the jail, said Senior Insp. Jose Rusylvi Abueva, Mandaue City Jail warden.
The abdominal pains so weakened Velasco and Palo-Palo that they had to stay in bed for two days, under the care of the jail’s medical staff. They were not brought to the hospital.
Velasco, Palo-Palo and three other suspects were earlier arrested for allegedly shooting Yu and her driver Sonny “Boy” Mahilum as they approached Yu’s factory in Mandaue City.
The other suspects were identified as Aldrin Montecalvo, the alleged gunman; Orbell Inihao, driver of the getaway motorcycle; and Rodelito Buenavista, who was tagged as the lookout along with Palo-Palo.
Yu survived, but Mahilum died days later because of multiple gunshot wounds.
Before last Wednesday’s incident, Mandaue City Police Office Director Noel Gillamac said he received information about the alleged plot to kill Velasco and the suspects.
The suspects were warned about the information.
Abueva said the bottles of juice, which the couple did not finish, were submitted to the Bureau of Food and Drugs for laboratory analysis.
One of the bottles was supposed to expire in May 2011, while the two other bottles were good until July next year.
Insp. Anacleto Dusaran Jr., deputy jail warden, said that based on the information they gathered, the bottles were already open when these reached Velasco and Palo-Palo.
Because of the incident, Gillamac urged the jail management to tighten security for the suspects. (JTG/With DRT of Sun.Star Superbalita)