Government forms task forces to probe Aquino, Guarin attacks

MANILA, Philippines - President Arroyo ordered police yesterday to track down and arrest gunmen who ambushed and shot Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Undersecretary Ramon Aquino, leaving him critically wounded.

The attack on Aquino follows the ambush on Land Transportation Office National Capital Region assistant director Camilo Guarin last Tuesday.

Other officials who were recently ambushed were Philippine National Construction Corp. investigator Rolando Serrano and Metro Manila Development Authority sidewalk clearing operations head Roberto Esquivel, whose son was hurt in the attack.

Aquino was ambushed in front of the DPWH office in Manila while Guarin was shot as he was on his way to work.

“The President has directed the PNP (Philippine National Police) to conduct a thorough investigation,” deputy presidential spokeswoman Lorelei Fajardo said in a statement. “The Palace is closely monitoring the incident.”

PNP chief Director General Jesus Verzosa ordered the creation of two separate task forces to investigate the attacks, tapping Manila Police District director Chief Superintendent Roberto Rosales for Task Force Aquino and Quezon City Police District (QCPD) director Chief Superintendent Magtanggol Gatdula for Task Force Guarin.

PNP spokesman Chief Superintendent Nicanor Bartolome said Rosales and Gatdula were told to submit a report on the cases periodically.

Bartolome said investigators could not yet say if there was any connection between the two attacks. Former LTO chief Alberto Suansing said he designated Guarin to the bids and awards committee, “which is a very sensitive post,” before he took over the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board last month.

QCPD criminal investigation chief Superintendent Franklin Mabanag said they were eyeing a possible rivalry over an LTO post for which Guarin is reportedly a candidate, and a personal grudge held against Guarin. 

‘Series of unfortunate events’

 DPWH personnel expressed concern over what they described as a series of unfortunate events at their agency. Last March 2, burglars ransacked the offices of Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. and Undersecretary Bashir Rasuman.

Ebdane said the burglars did not take any documents, but did not discount the possibility that the burglars were after specific documents “since the DPWH has been mentioned in some controversies and has been having ongoing bidding for infrastructure projects.”

Aquino is in charge of the DPWH’s Luzon operations and is Ebdane’s chief of staff.

A woman car washer told police she had observed four men casing the DPWH compound since 7 p.m. Tuesday. She saw the same men the next day, apparently sending a text message, minutes before the ambush. Thinking that the men must be drivers of DPWH officials, she was shocked when she saw them fire at Aquino’s vehicle as it was leaving the compound.

The motorcycles used by the gunmen to escape were seen parked at the nearby OMI building before the ambush.

Witnesses failed to identify the escaping suspects from footage taken by surveillance cameras along Roxas Boulevard, and from the rogue’s gallery.

DPWH Undersecretary for the Visayas Rafael Yabut said Ebdane’s order is that “it should be business as usual” at the department and the attack on Aquino should drive them to “double our efforts” at work.

However, DPWH Civil Security Division officer-in-charge Feliciano Roque said they will be enforcing stricter security measures and putting additional security guards. – Cecille Suerte Felipe, Nestor Etolle, Reinir Padua, Evelyn Macairan, Sandy Araneta