Lalaine Madrigal Martinez at the NBI. Tetch Torres-Tupas/INQUIRER.net
The wife of high profile inmate Noel Martinez was shot but the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) refused to call it as a slay attempt.
Lalaine Madrigal Martinez was the one mentioned by Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II as the one who was used as a bridge in offering NBP inmates a P100-million bribe to recant their testimonies against Senator Leila De Lima.
She was shot early morning Friday along Circuit Makati (formerly Sta. Ana), the bullet grazing her right arm. Aguirre mentioned that it was an ambush incident but his claim was disputed by the Makati police.
Aguirre on Monday said he was not lying as he presented the vehicle of Lalaine and ordered the NBI to examine it.
NBI spokesman Atty. Ferdinand Lavin in a press conference on Monday evening said that it was still premature to say that the incident was an ambush.
Lavin said the trajectory of the bullet was downward mostly likely fired from a 9-milimeter gun.
The bullet hit the windshield of the sports utility vehicle driven by Lalaine.
Based on the forensic examination, the bullet came from or the shooter fired from a three-foot distance.
For her part, Lalaine said she came from Chino Roces and was on her way home when the incident happened.
Lalaine said she heard something hit her windshield and when she reached a hump, it started to crack.
She added that she did not feel anything hit her until blood started oozing from her right arm. She said she still managed to drive five more minutes to her destination where she treated her own wound.
Because of fear, she said, she decided not to report the incident to the police and called Aguirre instead.
She said she informed Aguirre of the incident because her husband is under the Witness Protection Program (WPP).