Punta Princesa ambush victim's son says mom received death threats

CEBU, Philippines - The son of one of the women who were hurt in an “ambush” in Barangay Punta Princesa on Saturday night told police his mother received death threats last year.

SPO1 Jay Yballe of the Homicide Section said the victim, Vicky Guarde, 49, received death threats through her cellular phone around middle or late last year, as alleged by her son Francis.

Guarde, a real estate agent, was grazed on her right thigh while her companion, Faith Rabanes, the 24-year-old girlfriend of her son, got critically injured after she was hit to her right temple, right upper arm, and right lower arm.

An unidentified gunman allegedly open fired at the victims around 8 p.m. Saturday on F. Llamas St. while Rabanes was entering the vehicle driven by Guarde shortly after buying bread at a bakeshop.

Francis, according to Yballe, said he knew that his mother had been receiving death threats last year but he had no idea what the threats were about.

“Ang mother ra gyud daw niya ang nakahibaw ug pwede pangutan-on,” Yballe said.

However, Yballe said Vicky has not yet contacted them since the incident. He said they tried to ask for Vicky’s number but they were told that she will just contact them if she is already emotionally prepared.

“Mag-huwat-huwat lang sa daw mi. Mura pa man gud sad siya nakuyawan sa nahitabo,” Yballe said.

Right now, Yballe said they are looking into business-related angle as the most possible motive behind the attack.

They have also invited a man, who was there when the incident happened to describe the suspects for them to be able to make a cartographic sketch.

According to some witnesses, the driver of the get-away motorcycle was a man, not a lesbian as earlier reported. He was wearing either a helmet or a bonnet to conceal his face while the gunman’s face was not covered at all.

The victims were on board a black Toyota Revo driven by Guarde on their way home to Pleasant Homes Subdivision when they were attacked. — (FREEMAN)