Ronaldo Aquino —PHOTO FROM CALBAYOG CITY INFORMATION OFFICE FACEBOOK PAGE
MANILA, Philippines — Calbayog City Mayor Ronaldo Aquino suffered 21 gunshot wounds on half of his body based on an autopsy, his son said Thursday.
Mark Aquino, the eldest of the four children of the late mayor, said an autopsy on the body of his father was conducted on Wednesday.
“Ang sabi ng kaibigan ng papa ko—hindi ko po kasi kinayang makita ‘yung resulta ng autopsy—ang sabi nya, sa bilang niya, kalahati pa lang ng katawan ng papa ko, ang nabibilang na tama ng bala is 21 na na bala,” the younger Aquino said in an interview with ABS-CBN’s Teleradyo.
(Because I could not look at the result of the autopsy, a friend of my father told me that my father sustained 21 gunshot wounds on just half of his body.)
According to Mark, the fatal gunshot wounds were on his father’s head and chest.
Mayor Aquino was on his way to attend the birthday celebration of his son Mark when his sports utility vehicle was followed by a van on Monday.
Brig. Gen. Ildebrandi Usana, the spokesperson of the Philippine National Police, said on Tuesday that the mayor’s group allegedly fired the first shot in the gunfight that led to his death.
Usana said Aquino’s group “was alleged to have initiated the shootout” when his bodyguards fired at an unmarked vehicle carrying policemen of the Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group (IMEG) and Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit (PDEU) “that was traveling in the same direction along the road.”
Usana also said that the two police units denied that Mayor Aquino was a subject of their operations or that he was their target. He added that the special investigation task group now probing the incident will confirm the accuracy of this statement.
The mayor’s son, however, does not believe the police’s narrative.
“Meron na pong mga witness na nagpapatunay po na noong nabangga ang van ng father ko, mayroong dalawang sasakyan na bumaba, isang pickup na Hilux at isang itim na Ford Everest na kung saan lulan ang pitong tao na lahat ay may dalang high-powered firearms, at patuloy po nitong binabaril ang sasakyan ng father ko,” he said.
(There are witnesses who testified that when the van of my father was hit, seven men from a Hilux pick-up and a black Ford Everest who were carrying high-powered firearms fired at my father’s van.)
He added that it is “impossible” that the group of the mayor opened fire first as what is being claimed by the police.
“Napakaimposible po, kasi ‘yung security ng papa ko na may dalang baril, nasa unahan po, ‘yung passenger side, which is ‘yun po ‘yung pulis. ‘Yung driver at tsaka ‘yung pulis na personal aide ng father ko po, sila ang unang tinamaan ng unang putok kaya hindi po sila nakapagpaputok,” he explained.
(It is very impossible because the security detail of my father who was carrying a gun was sitting at the front, at the passenger side. My father’s driver and personal aide are the ones who were shot first so they were not able to fire back.)
According to Mark, it is also impossible that the policemen did not know that the SUV was carrying the mayor as it is the vehicle issued to him by the city government of Calbayog.
“Gusto ko rin pong malaman ng sambayanan na bakit kailangan nilang sabihin, meron pong isang pulis na lumapit pagkatapos barilin si papa ng pitong lalaki… Pagkatapos po nilang barilin ay tiningnan po sa loob at sinabing ‘Okay na, patay na.’ So ibig sabihin kilala po nila si mayor,” he added, citing accounts from witnesses.
(I want the public to know why a policeman had to approach my father’s vehicle after he was shot… He approached the vehicle and said, “Okay, he is dead.” So it means they know the mayor.)
“Ibig sabihin intentional po ang pagpatay nila kay mayor (It means the killing of the mayor was intentional),” added Mark.
According to Mark, one of the vehicles used by the police officers during the shooting had different license plates at the front and at the back.
He said witnesses also stated that prior to the incident, a vehicle was frequently seen along the area where the mayor usually passes through.
He likewise questioned why the policemen were at the area of the incident prior to the shooting.
Mark said the personal aide of his father survived the shooting and is expected to shed light on the true events of the incident.