Gatdula to face raps for ambush

Manila, Philippines -  Justice Secretary Leila de Lima has recommended the filing of frustrated murder charges against former National Bureau of Investigation director Magtanggol Gatdula and 12 others for the ambush of NBI Deputy Director for technical services Reynaldo Esmeralda last Feb. 21 in Manila.

The 12 others are Tyrone Ong, Perfecto Villanueva, Ronnie Ong, Ramoso Ramos, Alfredo Compoc, Teodoro Abendano, Ricky Dacillo, Gerry Farillon, Jose Maglalang Jr., Gino Eustaquio, Aljun Monticlaros and Alvin Monticlaros.

De Lima told a press conference at the NBI headquarters that Gatdula and the 12 other suspects were charged before the DOJ with two counts of frustrated murder under Article 248 of the Revised Penal Code in relation to Article 6;  with treachery, evident premeditation and use of illegal firearms.

Suspects Villanueva, Ramos, Compoc, Abendano, Maglalang, and the Monticlaros brothers were arrested while the rest are still at large.

De Lima said no warrant of arrest had been issued against Gatdula and Ong, owner of Izumo Contractors Inc.

She said that based on the testimonies of the arrested suspects, Gatdula and Ong planned the ambush of Esmeralda who was injured together with his brother, Police Officer 3 Nilo Esmeralda.

De Lima said that the ambush may have something to do with the NBI clearance system contract since the alleged mastermind, Ong, is identified with Strategic and Comprehensive Consultants Inc. (SCCI), a firm that has a joint venture with Realtime Data Management Service Inc. (RDMS), the service provider of the bureau in the NBI clearance project.

The ambush at around 7:30 p.m. along Apacible Street in Paco, Manila, near the house of Esmeralda while he and his brother Nilo – also assigned at the NBI deputy director for technical services office – were on their way home.

NBI Reaction, Arrest and Interdiction Division (RAID) headed by Ros Jonathan Galicia is investigating the case.

Investigators recovered the Olympic Arms high-powered rifle 5.56 mm with serial no. 333328 that was used by the suspects during the ambush.

In his testimony, Villanueva claimed that Ong and Gatdula are close friends. Ong is an adopted mistah of Gatdula’s PMA batch. He also identified Ong as a confidential agent of the NBI.

Villanueva told NBI probers that he was present during the almost weekly meetings of Ong and Gatdula, and that their recurrent concern was Esmeralda’s apparent effort in allegedly stalling the payment of the NBI to the service provider in the clearance project.

The NBI allegedly owed Ong P150 million for the services rendered, Maglalang, one of the suspects, told investigators.

De Lima said that it was Esmeralda who ordered the replacement of SCCI-RDMS joint venture as NBI’s service provider.

Villanueva said he was ordered by Ong to hire the gunmen to ambush and kill Esmeralda.

He said Gatdula allegedly approved the operation.

Villanueva was arrested by NBI RAID agents during a drug entrapment operation in his house in Sta. Mesa. The rifle was recovered at his house. Several bullets recovered in the house matched the slugs used in the ambush, said the NBI.