Ambush victim’s family cries foul

CEBU, Philippines - The family of the alleged masiao financier who was ambushed last Thursday questioned the manner the police is investigating the incident.

Lawyer Noel Archival, the legal counsel of victim Edgar Ho Lim, cited the examination conducted by police on Lim’s car without his consent, and the alleged recovery of shabu packs that would tag his client as a suspect.

“At the end of the day, ang victim nga tua karon sa ospital naglisod og ginhawa, kahuman ani, imbes pangitaon ang nagsuway og patay niya, giuna na hinuon ang sakyanan hantod nadugay nakit-an na gyud kuno ang shabu,” Archival said. (Instead of focusing their effort on finding out who shot him, they first looked at the vehicle and allegedly found shabu.)

Lim, 49, who is reportedly engaged in networking business, was driving his new white BMW car when the unidentified assailant shot him at South Road Properties at 5 pm last Thursday.

Lim’s wife, Viola, said she received a call from the victim at 5 p.m. informing her that he was shot while driving his car along SRP and that he wanted to be taken to the hospital.

Viola subsequently met him along Gen. Maxilom Ave. Ext. in Barangay Carreta, across the old White Gold, and rushed him to the Chong Hua Hospital. He was immediately taken to the operating room for surgical operation due to gunshot wounds on his stomach and the right side of his face.

Lim’s car, which had bullet holes at the back and the passenger side, was taken by the PNP Crime Laboratory Office 7 for examination and inventory.

Aside from the suspected shabu, police reportedly recovered P35,000 cash, assorted cards, the car’s OR and CR, a fighting cock, and 21 rolled papers among other items inside the car.

Archival said they consented to a police examination of the bullet holes, but not what’s inside the car.

“I-examine sa ang shabu before ta mu-identify sa owner sa shabu. Si Edgar, dili na mugamit og drugs. Kinsa may last touch anang vehicle?” the lawyer further asserted. The police have no suspects, too, he said. (Let’s examine the shabu first before we pinpoint who owns that. Edgar does not use drugs, and who was the last to touch the vehicle?)

However, Senior Supt. Mariano Natuel, Jr. who heads Cebu City Police Office said the police have the right to examine the vehicle.

“Ang car ang crime scene so the police have the right to search everything what’s inside and outside the car. There’s no need for a search warrant,” Natuel explained.

“It just so happened na naa’y illegal item nakuha sa iyang sakyanan. Of course, pangitaon sad nato ang perpetrator,” the CCPO officer-in-charge said further.

Chief Insp. Romeo Santander, who heads CCPO’s intelligence branch, said they are eyeing illegal gambling as the possible motive behind the attack on Lim.

“Most likely, karibal niya, but di pa ta ka-rule out sa ubang angle,” said Santander.

The CIB chief said Lim returned to illegal gambling activities after getting arrested for the same offense at his house in Barangay Zapatera last week. Lim is currently on bail.  (FREEMAN)