Fiscal’s son ambushed

A son of a Manila prosecutor was gunned down in an ambush staged by three heavily-armed men in Parañaque City Monday night.

Police identified the victim as Francis Orda, 20, college student, son of Prosecutor Domingo Orda, Jr. of the Manila Prosecutor’s Office, and resident of 34 Vietnam St., Better Living Subdivision, Barangay Don Bosco, Parañaque.

Orda was driving his car along Saudi Arabia St. corner Sierra Leone St. inside their village at around 6:20 p.m. when the three still unidentified gunmen opened fire at his ash-gray Mitsubishi Lancer.

The gunmen escaped after the ambush.

Superintendent Ronald Estilles, Parañaque police chief, said the killers were believed to be targeting the victim’s father.

At the time of the ambush, it was learned that the young Orda was driving home from a Parañaque community precinct where he had just driven P01 Roderick Pascua, whom Estilles had just assigned to guard the victim’s father.

Pascua, it was learned, had gone back to duty at the precinct after accompanying the elder Orda home. In turn, the fiscal asked his son to drive Pascua back to the precinct.

Pascua was assigned by Estilles to guard Orda after the prosecutor reported the death threats his household had been receiving by phone the last few weeks.

It was learned that a suspect behind the death threats and consequently the young Orda’s ambush, was a Manila parking lot administrator who is the subject of a complaint filed in court by the prosecutor’s wife.

Police refused to give more information pending follow-up operations.

Meanwhile, a teenager was shot dead by suspected members of a rival street gang in Tondo, Manila, early yesterday. Police reports identified the victim as a certain "Rene", 19, a resident of Lakandula St., Tondo.

According to reports, the victim was buying pan de sal at a bakery near Kagitingan St., at about 1:45 a.m. when he was approached by two unidentified men armed with sumpaks (home made shotguns).

Without warning, the suspects opened fire and hit the victim in the left arm and back, killing him on the spot. The suspects then fled on foot after the incident.

Bystanders told police that the suspects were members of a street gang involved in a turf war with the victim’s gang.

Also in Tondo, a taxi driver was clobbered to death by four robbers yesterday morning. Reports identified the victim as Arnold Bacu, of Area A, Parola Compound.

According to reports, the victim was cruising along N. Domingo St. in San Juan at about 12:30 a.m. when he was flagged down by the suspects who asked to be taken to Manila’s North Harbor.

As the taxi was approaching a dimly-lit portion near Pier 2, the suspects suddenly brought out steel pipes and demanded the victim’s wallet, watch and earnings.

The victim resisted and was clobbered by the suspects to death. The suspects then fled on foot.

Pursuing policemen later arrested one of the suspects, Robelio Fortaliza, 22, of Purok 3, Isla Puting Bato, Tondo, Manila. The other three suspects are now being tracked down by police.

Fortaliza is now detained at the Western Police District Integrated Jail as charges of robbery with homicide are being readied against him. – Mike Frialde