MANILA - No personnel of the Philippine National Police is involved in the ambush of Aparri, Cagayan Vice Mayor Rommel Alameda on Sunday in Nueva Vizcaya, according to the spokesperson of the force on Monday.

P/Col. Jean Fajardo issued the statement in light of reports that the perpetrators were seen wearing what appears to be the uniform of the PNP.

“Linawin lang natin: Wala pong PNP members na involved po dito. At ang tinitingnan po ay maaaring ‘tong suspect ay nagsuot lamang ng mga uniform to make it appear na sila ay lehitimong mga government forces nung sila ay maglagay nga po ng mga unauthorized checkpoint doon po sa lugar ng ambush po,” Fajardo said in an interview on the ABS-CBN show Sakto.

(Let us be clear on this: No PNP member is involved in this incident. What we are looking at is the possibility that the suspect was just wearing a police uniform to make it appear they are legitimate government forces because they have set up an unauthorized checkpoint in the ambush area.)

The possible involvement though of PNP personnel is not yet totally ruled out, as far as PNP chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin, Jr. is concerned.

“Naka-uniform ng pulis kaya nga tinitingnan natin kung may possibility ba na pulis ba yung involved, or ginamit lamang yung uniform ng pulis,” Azurin said in a separate interview.

“Hindi po tayo sigurado kung ito po yung mga tinatawag na pixelized uniform po ng PNP or yung camouflage po ng Armed Forces of the Philippines. Kaya nga po yung pinapakita po natin sa ating mga witness yung mga itsura po ng mga camouflage para matukoy po kung ano po yung mga suot po na ito," added Fajardo.

Alameda, now serving her third term, and five of his companions were killed on Sunday morning after their vehicle was shot in Bagabag, Nueva Vizcaya. They were on their way to a Vice Mayors League meeting in Metro Manila.

“Ongoing ang follow-up operation ng ating mga kapulisan. So we have identified yung plate number nung sasakyan na ini-engage... Bakit nakuha yung plate number sa isang parang impounded or beyond economic repair na sasakyan? So how come nasa possession nung mga perpetrators?” Azurin said.

It appears that the red plate attached to the suspects' vehicle is a stolen one, said Fajardo.

"Yung red plate na sasakyan po, particularly po yung SFN 713, ay base po sa ginawang verification sa (Land Transportation Office) ay lumalabas po na ito pong plaka na ito ay hindi po dapat nakakabit po sa white Mitsubishi na ginamit ng mga suspek, kundi sa isang Izuzu truck po, na dapat po ay nakakabit po sa sasakyan na nakarehistro po sa Nueva Vizcaya State University,” she said.

“At nung atin pong imbestigahan ay lumalabas po na matagal na pong naka-junk itong sasakyan na ito, at in fact nandoon po sa compound ng state university, at malamang ay ninakaw po ito at ginamit ng mga suspek para iligaw po yung investigation po.”

PNP Public Information Office chief Col. Red Maranan told reporters that the police have created a group to handle the case.

“Nag-create po ng Special Investigation Task Group (SITG) ang Police Regional Office 2. At ito ay pinangungunahan ng Deputy Regional Director for Operation, nang sa ganun masusing maimbestigahan po ang shooting incident,” said Maranan.

He said that a Mitsubishi Adventure similar to what was used as a getaway vehicle by the suspects, was discovered early Monday, although already burned and abandoned.

The vehicle, which bore no plate number, was discovered around 4 a.m. in Barangay Uddiawan in Solano, Nueva Vizcaya.

According to the report, personnel of the Solano Police Station received a cellphone call from a barangay official regarding an unidentified vehicle that was being burned near Uddiawan National High School.

The investigation revealed that prior to the discovery of the burning vehicle, residents near the area supposedly heard several gunshots.

“Tinitingnan po natin yan. Masusi nating iniimbestigahan sapagkat yung lugar kung saan natagpuan yung sinunog na Mitsubishi Adventure na yun ay along the escape route din ng mga suspects,” said Maranan.

On the alleged use of police uniforms, Maranan warned that donning without authority is a felony. He said Azurin gave orders to heighten the campaign against the illegal sale and use of police uniforms.

“Paigtingin pa yung kampanya sa paggamit ng ating mga uniporme. At dahil diyan, nagbigay din siya ng direktiba na yung mga nagtitinda ng mga uniporme ng pulis, dapat hingan ng mga kaukulang identification na card yung mga bumibili. At nagbigay din siya ng direktiba sa atin pong Cybercrime Group, lalong lalo na yung mga nagbebenta ng uniporme online ay dapat pong hulihin yan,” he said.

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