Cops looking at politics, drugs angle in Mayor Talumpa’s death

CRIME SCENE A police officer documents the site of the shooting at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3, which resulted in the deaths of Mayor Ukol Talumpa and his wife (inset from Facebook), and two others. GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE

Why assassinate Mayor Ocol (not Ukol as previously reported) Talumpa of Labangan town in Zamboanga del Sur?

“We’re looking at politics, drugs, blood feud. But these possible motives are all linked,” Southern Police District director Chief Supt. Jose Erwin Villacorte told the Inquirer in a phone interview.

The government has formed the Southern Police District-led Task Group Ocol, which would investigate the killing at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Pasay City on Friday.

Talumpa, his wife Lea, nephew Salipudin and 1-year-old Phil Tomas Lirasan died of multiple wounds when they were shot dead at the Naia Terminal 3 near noon. Two other relatives were wounded in the attack.

The group was waiting for a pickup vehicle at the loading bay outside the arrival area, when two men on a motorcycle carried out the ambush.

Lirazan’s mother Mary Ann and grandmother Amalia were also wounded. The family did not know the Talumpas and were also only waiting to be picked up at the loading bay.

Villacorte said the police has “strong leads” and is expecting major developments in the next few days.

He said his team is coordinating with other local government units in tracking down the suspects.

Task group head Senior Supt. Billy Beltran said there have been previous attempts on the life of Talumpa and it is possible that they are looking at the same suspects.

Talumpa had survived a gun ambush in 2010 in Manila city, and a grenade explosion in Mindanao last year.

Beltran raised theories onTalumpa’s political rivalries, his staunch advocacy against illegal drugs and his possible involvement in “rido” or blood feuds.

“This was planned out. You can see it in the timing. The perpetrators knew his schedule, like they’ve been monitoring his travel from the province to Metro Manila. They were able to calculate their risks. They knew at that time, his security escorts’ guns were still deposited with the police,” Beltran said.

Earlier, Philippine National Police Aviation Security Group head Chief Supt. Christopher Laxa said Talumpa’s escorts were just picking up their guns from the police releasing booth near the loading bay when the ambush took place.

Meanwhile, Villacorte said they have yet to confirm that the perpetrators were wearing police uniforms, as described by some witnesses. “What they said was they only looked like police, with black jacket and pants. That uniform is easy to copy,” he said.

Unfortunately, Beltran said they had no security camera footage of the incident and only videos from bystanders after the incident had been recovered.

Earlier, Manila International Airport Authority general manager Jose Honrado said closed-circuit television cameras for the loading bays were in the process of procurement.

He also said police gave the perpetrators a chase but ended up caught in traffic on Andrews Avenue. The perpetrators had fled toward the direction of the Villamor Airbase.

He also said vehicle checks at the gate before the arrival and departure roads were “random.”

“We can’t check every vehicle. It would cause a traffic jam,” he said.

Meanwhile, police visibility and security was increased yesterday at Naia, particularly Terminal 3.

Checkpoints have been set up at the approaches to the publicly-accessible arrival and departure bays of the terminal, with airport security and Philippine National Police operatives opening car trunks and quizzing passengers.

Policemen are also seen accompanying airport security personnel posted at the entrances to the terminal. More security guards also also roving at the arrival and departure bays. With a report from Jerome Aning

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