Probe bureau deputy director survives ambush

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

MANILA (Updated) -- National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Deputy Director for Technical Services Reynaldo Esmeralda survived Tuesday an ambush staged by motorcycle-riding gunmen while he was on his way home from the NBI headquarters in Manila.

Esmeralda was even able to call Justice Secretary Leila de Lima to report the slay try, which occurred at 7:30 p.m. at Lucban Elementary School in Paco, Manila, Philippine National Police (PNP) spokesperson Chief Superintendent Agrimero Cruz Jr. said in a text message.

Have something to report? Tell us in text, photos or videos.

“The victim...was shot by unidentified suspects. Case is under investigation,” Cruz said.

De Lima clarified over government radio dzBB that Esmeralda was merely grazed by a bullet.

The NBI deputy director’s driver and brother, however, were hit by stray bullets and are now undergoing treatment at the Manila Doctor’s Hospital, which is near the NBI headquarters in Taft Avenue.

De Lima said Esmeralda called her up around 7:20 p.m. while they were undergoing treatment at the hospital.

She said Esmeralda’s vehicle and three other back-up vehicles had just exited the NBI when the suspects fired at them in Paco district.

De Lima said she asked Esmeralda if he had any suspects in mind, but the NBI official said he had no idea.

She believes, though, that the ambush Tuesday was related to the kidnapping and serious illegal detention case against sacked NBI Director Magtanggol Gatdula.

De Lima said that could be one of the motives behind the assassination attempt on Esmeralda, pointing out that other officials of the Department of Justice also have death threats, specifically Department of Justice (DOJ) Undersecretary Francisco Baraan and Assistant Secretary Zabedin Asis, who were members of the fact-finding panel that investigated the kidnapping case of Japanese Noriyo Ohara last year.

She said Baraan even received a text message two weeks ago that implied he should tread carefully on the case.

“It’s not a direct threat, implied lang… I’m just saying na may threat,” she said.

The DOJ panel later on issued a report that there is sufficient evidence for Gatdula to undergo preliminary investigation.

De Lima said Esmeralda is not part of the fact-finding panel, but she noted that the NBI is “in a crisis.”

She said she will order an investigation on the ambush Tuesday. (Virgil Lopez/With ECV/Sunnex)