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Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Ex-NPA man, wife killed in ambush
By Rex C. Otero
DAVAO CITY -- At least three armed men on board three motorcycles ambushed a family right in front of their house in Matina Aplaya in Davao City, Monday night, killing the parents and seriously wounding the 12-year-old son.
The helper was also wounded while the 16-year-old daughter survived.
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Rene Cajoles, 44, was driving home with his wife Mollie Potes-Cajoles, 46, their son Rene Jr., daughter Rene Hamida, and a helper identified only as Noli when ambushed at Ultra Homes around 8 p.m. Monday.
Cajoles was a former leader of the New People's Army (NPA) in the 1980s who went by the name of Ka Marvin. He was then a colleague of NPA spokesman Ariel Badiang.
The couple died on the spot from gunshot wounds.
The Cajoleses own a rice stall at the Agdao Public Market from where the family came from before going home Monday night.
The victims' Isuzu Sportivo has just slowed down outside their residence when three armed men opened fire.
Police found 20 empty shells and five slugs of a caliber .45 gun at the crime scene. The vehicle was riddled with bullets.
"Daghan silang nagtabang pagpusil, gikuha nila ang bag, kuwarta 'to, tulis ang tuyo ato (There were several gunmen who took turns shooting them. They got the bag and the motive is robbery)," said Herminigilda Potes, Mollie's mother.
Talomo police station chief Michael John Dubria said the suspects immediately fled on board three motorcycles.
"Tatlo ang nakitang bumaril, tatlong motorcycles ang sinakyan nila at may mga drivers 'yun, so, minimum of six suspects talaga (Three men were seen shooting the victims. They boarded three motorcycles, all with drivers. Thus, there are about six suspects)," said Dubria.
As of Tuesday, police are looking into four angles as motives for the crime. These are robbery, Cajoles's membership with the Malalag Banana Growers in Malalag, Davao del Sur, his former involvement with the NPA, and business rivalry.
"May robbery talaga kasi kinuha yung bag na may undetermined cash but we did not discount other possibilities such as itong si Cajoles ay member ng Malalag Banana Growers (There was really robbery because the bag with undetermined cash was taken away but we did not discount other possibilities such as Cajoles's membership with Malalang Banana Growers)," the police officer said.
Dubria also admitted that Cajoles is a former member of the NPA. "Although that was 15 years ago, basig mga former comrades ang nagpatira wala pud ta kabalo (it can also be that his former comrades were the ones who killed them, we don't know yet)," he said.
"Or it could be business rivalry, mahal ra ba ang bugas karon (rice is expensive these days). We are trying to dig deeper and we are not limiting our investigation into that angles," added Dubria. (Sun.Star Davao/Sunnex)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Baguio. (July 30, 2008 issue)
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