‘Alameda’s assailants wore Army uniforms’

MANILA, Philippines — The armed men who ambushed Aparri Vice Mayor Rommel Alameda and his five companions in Bagabag, Nueva Vizcaya were wearing Army uniforms and speaking in Ilocano and Tagalog, officials said yesterday.

Col. Jovencio Badua Jr., deputy regional director for operations of the Cagayan Valley police, said that contrary to reports that the assailants were in police uniform, witnesses told inves-tigators that the armed men were in military uniforms.

Badua said probers showed two pixelized uniforms of the police and military to the witnesses.

“The witnesses pointed to the uniform of the military and said the assailants were in ‘full-pack,’ ” Badua said.

He said the chassis number of the Mitsubishi Adventure believed used as a getaway vehicle in the crime was registered to a person in Metro Manila.

The vehicle was found burned in Solano town.

Col. Jean Fajardo, spokesperson for the Philippine National Police, said some witnesses heard the armed men talking in Ilocano and Tagalog, although the witnesses could not identify the suspects.

She said they also received information that there were two civilians who took videos of the shooting, but the gunmen seized their phones.