Cockpit financier attacked by 3 men in cop uniforms

The three men who opened fire on a sport utility vehicle carrying a cockfight financier and her driver in San Juan City on Wednesday were wearing police uniforms.

But Senior Supt. Bernard Tambaoan, San Juan police chief, said yesterday it was highly doubtful that the suspects—two of whom were in blue police uniforms and the third dressed in a light blue shirt with Philippine National Police markings and a black jacket—were indeed law enforcers.

“It may be that they used [the uniforms as] props so that they wouldn’t be stopped at the checkpoint,” he added.

Rebecca Almazan, 54, a cockfighting financier, and her driver Herbert Obmerga were on their way to the San Juan Coliseum in a maroon Mitsubishi Montero when the three men on two motorcycles blocked the vehicle at 2:45 p.m. on Tuesday.

Tambaoan said one of the suspects alighted from one of the motorcycles but Obmerga, sensing danger, sped away.

The suspects gave chase and managed to corner the victims at San Miguel Street corner F. Manalo due to heavy traffic. They fired upon the SUV, hitting Obmerga.

Almazan was injured after bullets shattered the vehicle’s windows and showered her with glass shards.

Both have been declared out of danger although a man who was repairing his jeepney by the roadside was hit by a stray bullet in the face.

Valentino D. Malilay was taken to San Juan Medical Center and later transferred to East Avenue Medical Center but he died at 6:20 p.m. the following day.

According to Tambaoan, who is awaiting the order for his transfer to Caloocan City, the gunmen were probably after the undisclosed amount of money Almazan was taking to the San Juan Coliseum where there was an ongoing cockfight derby at the time of the attack.  Kristine Felisse Mangunay