THE Philippine National Police (PNP) has formed a Special Investigation Task Group (SITG) to investigate the killing of a businessman in broad daylight along Edsa on Sunday, February 17.
Eastern Police District Director Bernabe Balba said the SITG “Yulo” was created to immediately solve the killing of businessman Jose Luis Yulo, 62, and his driver Allan Nomer Santos.
Yulo and Santos were shot around 3:30 p.m. Sunday, February 17, by two unidentified motorcycle-riding gunmen. They were inside the van, traversing the southbound of Edsa-Reliance, when ambushed.
Stock broker Esmeralda Ignacio, 38, who was with Yulo, was also wounded in the attack. She was brought to the hospital for treatment.
Balba said they believe that the main target of the attack was Yulo, who obtained eight fatal gunshot wounds.
He said they also tapped the PNP-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) for the investigation on the incident.
Balba said the CIDG has obtained closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera footages from the area to identify the gunmen's escape route.
Meantime, Mandaluyong Police Chief Moises Villacerin Jr. said the killing was “well-planned and executed professionally.”
"Professional ang dating ng mga suspect natin. Kung titingnan natin ang pag-perpetrate nila ng crime na ito, medyo professional ang dating at well-planned," he said.
(The attack was perpetrated by professionals and it was well-planned.)
"Alam nila kung saan ang area na ma-traffic, 'yung area na walang deployment 'yung MMDA (Metropolitan Manila Development Authority), Highway Patrol at pulis natin," he added.
(The gunmen know which areas were congested and unmanned by MMDA, Highway Patrol, and police personnel.)
Villacerin said investigators are looking into business as the primary motive behind the killing.
He said they will coordinate with the family of Yulo to know if he had been receiving death threats.
"Kung titingnan natin, si Mr. Yulo ay negosyante po. Marami siyang negosyo so isang anggulo po 'yun na maaaring motibo po sa pagpatay sa kanya," said Villacerin.
(Mr. Yulo is a businessman, and this could be one motive in the killing.)
"Kakausapin natin 'yung pamilya. Aalamin natin kung may threat ba o posibleng makabigay ng lead para sa solusyon ng kaso na ito," he added.
(We will talk to the family and determine whether he received threats, or whether they could give a lead, so we can solve this case.) (SunStar Philippines)