LEGAZPI CITY, Philippines—Three family members were simultaneously gunned down by around 20 men in Libon, Albay, Saturday morning, in coordinated attacks believed by police to be related to the killing of former Makati City engineer Nelson Morales.
Senior Insp. Darwin Asejo, Libon chief of police, identified the victims as the siblings Presilo Ongog, 39, and Imelda, 38, and their father Felipe, 62.
Asejo said Presilo, Imelda and Felipe were in three different houses in Alongong Village in Libon when the gunmen shot them at 7:30 a.m.
They were dead on the spot from gunshot wounds in the head and other parts of the body.
Recovered from the crime scenes were several empty shells fired from guns of unknown caliber and deformed slugs.
Asejo said investigators believe the Ongog siblings and their father were killed by members of the so-called “Concepcion gang” in retaliation for the death of gang member Ransom Concepcion Thursday evening in Polangui, Albay.
Concepcion was killed in a shootout with a team of government operatives in Barangay Matacon, Polangui at 6:30 p.m.
Ransom, who was on a motorcycle, was cornered after nearly three hours of chase by members of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, the Polangui Municipal Police and Albay Police Provincial Office that ended in Barangay Matacon.
The lawmen had a warrant for Concepcion’s arrest that was issued by Tabaco City Regional Trial Court Branch 18 Judge Mamerto Buban in connection with Morales’ killing.
“The Ongog family, particularly Presilo, were suspected by the gang to be the informants of the police in the Morales case,” said Asejo.
Asejo said the Concepcion gang is headed by Ransom’s brother, Gilbert, who is also a suspect in Morales’ killing. Gilbert remains at large.
Morales was killed on Sept. 7, 2012 in front of a church in Malinao town in Albay.
Morales had been identified by former Makati Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado as the person who received kickbacks allegedly on behalf of then Mayor Jejomar Binay and other Makati officials from contractors engaged by the city government. He was killed a few months after he resigned his Makati job, according to Mercado.