Police cordon off the bullet-riddled van that carried Vice Mayor Rommel Alameda of Aparri town in Cagayan and his companions (PHOTO COURTESY OF THE NUEVA VIZCAYA PROVINCIAL POLICE OFFICE)
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) is tracking down the registered owner of the getaway vehicle used in the fatal ambush of Aparri, Cagayan Vice Mayor Rommel Alameda, and his five aides in Nueva Vizcaya over the weekend.
PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo on Tuesday said that while the chassis and engine numbers of the charred vehicle–which was found in the Solano, Nueva Vizcaya–had already been tampered with, the provincial Highway Patrol Group was still able to identify it.
“This is now the focus of the investigation. We already coordinated with the Land Transportation Office. We already have the name of the registered owner, and the special investigation task group (SITG) is now coordinating with the other local police to find the location of the registered owner,” she said over CNN Philippines’ The Source.
Fajardo noted, however, that the registered owner of the getaway vehicle is so far, only “considered one of the possible sources of information” since it is not yet determined whether the registered owner of the burned car is its current possessor.
Asked about the reports that Alameda’s assailants were clad in police uniforms, Fajardo said PNP chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr. had since ordered a review of existing policies on the purchase of police uniforms.
An SITG was formed by the PNP to investigate the brazen killing of Alameda, his cousin and driver, John Duane Alameda, and his aides, Alexander delos Angeles, Alvin Abel, Abraham Ramos Jr. and Ismael Nanay in the town of Bagabag on Sunday, February 19.
Prior to the fatal ambush of Alameda, there was an attempt on the life of another local official, Lanao del Sur Governor Mamintal Adiong Jr. on Friday, February 17.
Adiong is currently in a stable condition following the ambush, but his four companions–Juraji Adiong, Aga Sumandar, Jalil Cosain and a certain Kobi–were unfortunately killed.