Ex-PNP official denies planning Decena ambush

MANILA, Philippines - A former police official tagged by businesswoman Cristina Decena as the alleged mastermind behind her ambush last week has denied the allegation.

Former Chief Inspector Manuel Dasig and his wife, Imelda, said yesterday they have no ties to arrested suspects, dismissed Police Officer 1 Henry Quiñones and Edgardo Binalla, contrary to the claim of Decena when she went to the Department of Justice (DOJ) to seek help against Dasig, her former business partner, last Thursday.

They made the denial in a statement to The STAR through lawyer Rudolf Philip Jurado. The couple said Decena’s allegation was “baseless” and has tarnished their names.

“Our clients vehemently deny any involvement whatsoever in the ambush” on Decena, Jurado said, adding that the National Bureau of Investigation has yet to conclude its investigation. He believes that Decena’s claims were “preemptive” of the ongoing NBI probe.

Decena, her son and their maid were in the family’s Starex van when two men on a motorcycle shot at them outside a restaurant in Quezon City on Aug. 14.