Relatives and friends of slain Calbayog City Mayor Ronaldo Aquino believe the truth behind the mayor's killing is becoming even more muddled.
In a statement, the CPP/NDF blatantly claimed the Duterte administration as targeting “the broadest range of political rivals of their own class, with the aim to demolish anyone in their way”
AS INVESTIGATIONS are still ongoing, the almost month-long alleged shoot-out that resulted in the killing of Calbayog City Mayor Ronald Aquino and several policemen is far from being solved, in fact, it’s getting muddled.
And the latest to have been dragged to the controversy is the Duterte administration.
This, after President Duterte and the Philippine National Police (PNP) were accused by the Communist Party of the Philippines- National Democratic Front (CPP/NDF), as being privy in what they claim as an attack on opposition forces, 15 months ahead of the national elections.
Aquino is a known card-bearing member of the Liberal Party.
In fact, Vice President Leny Robredo, the presumptive presidential bet of the opposition, was in Calbayog City a few days after the incident to pay her last respects to the slain political ally.
Demolition Job
In a statement, the terrorist group CPP/NDF blatantly claimed the Duterte administration as targeting “the broadest range of political rivals of their own class…, with the aim to demolish anyone in their way.”
The insurgents have directly accused Duterte and “his henchmen in the Philippine National Police – PNP Chief Debold Siñas and PNP Region 8 Director Ronaldo de Jesus of “cover up.”
The PNP to date maintained that what happened on March 8 was an unfortunate “shootout” between the group of Mayor Aquino and the elements of Samar Police conducting “legitimate” police operations and not an ambush as claimed by the aggrieved party.
Speculations
But prior, and contrary to this narrative being insinuated by the CPP/NDF, a 4-page anonymous letter with PNP and Samar Police logos, reportedly written by a police officer, came out linking the incident to a big but local political name in Samar.
In the said exposé, named responsible for the killing were certain “PD Torre, VG Jimboy Tan, bossing Monmon Uy and boss Onx Montealto” as allegedly the individuals who hatched and planned out the kill-plot.
It was important to note that Duterte or anyone directly under him that may potentially corroborate to the CPP/NDF claims was never mentioned.
Political Allies and Friends?
Also, another claim, which was recently floated but was also quickly dismissed as baseless and highly improbable, involves that of “friends” and political “allies” of Aquino in Calbayog City and in the first district of Samar.
The allegations insinuate the huge political stake as the motive behind their plot.
Samar 1st District Congressman Edgar Mary S. Sarmiento has quickly dismissed the allegations as but an attempt by the real perpetrators to further muddle, confuse and cover the glaring truth.
Mark “Ronald” Aquino, the son of the slain mayor has refused to dignify what he said a wild claim.
The idea he said is highly improbable as he knows the political allies of his father in Calbayog as true friends.
NPA not involved
Interestingly, the CPP/NDF and the armed NPA insurgents in Samar was not named in the leak as among the potential group involved in the recent killings in Calbayog.
The National Bureau of Investigation which was tasked to solve the case is yet to come up with its findings, which further deepens the mystery behind the case.
Accordingly, had the alleged kill-plot been executed clean, the blame would either be on the rebels or to an armed group.
A plot to implicate the mayor to drugs
Or perhaps, as theorized by Mark, if had it been perfectly executed according to plan, it may have come out as a legitimate police operation in hot pursuit of a high-value target involved in drugs.
Fortunately, according to Mark, the obvious plan of the assailants to plant illegal drugs as evidence in the vehicle was effectively stopped when his father, possibly already wounded, still managed to return fire and fatally hitting two of them and wounding one more. (RM)
Tags: #NPA-NDF, #CalbayogCity, #MayorRonaldoAquino, #Crime, #PNP