MULTIPLE murder and multiple frustrated murder charges will be filed against the six personalities allegedly involved in the ambush of San Fernando Mayor Lakambini “Neneth” Reluya.
Senior Superintendent Manuel Abrugena, Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO) director, said among those who will be charged are suspected guns-for-hire Jerome Labitad and Felix Abacajan Jr. who were identified by Reluya and Giovanni Jojo Perez, one of the mayor’s bodyguards who survived the ambush.
Four other men, who remain unidentified, will be included in the complaint.
Chief Superintendent Debold Sinas, Police Regional Office-Central Visayas director, stated that the Philippine National Police (PNP) Crime Laboratory confirmed from the ballistic exam and cross matching on Labitad’s weapons and that of the bullets found at the ambush were one and the same.
But Abrugena admitted they have yet to receive the official results from the PNP Crime Lab.
Due to this, the SITG have prepared their evidence and submitted it before the Regional Legal Service 7 for the filing of the complaint.
“We are very hopeful that the evidence we collected including the results of the PNP Crime Lab will help in strengthening our case against Labitad and Abacajan,” Abrugena said.
Abrugena also denied that their investigation on the Reluya ambush case was half-baked as the PNP Crime Lab’s results cannot be influenced even from other PNP units.
He said the cross matching and ballistics test conducted on Labitad’s weapons and bullets found in the ambush site were done through scientific method.
Separately, Sinas said he has already informed PNP Chief Oscar Albayalde on the updates of their investigation.
For now, the SITG is conducting a deeper investigation to determine who masterminded the ambush and who served as middleman for the guns for hire. (AYB of Superbalita Cebu/JKV)