Palace assures no whitewash in Mandaluyong shooting probe

Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar. ALBERT ALCAIN/Presidential Photo

A Palace official assured the public on Saturday that there would be no whitewash in the government’s investigation into the Mandaluyong shooting incident that mistakenly killed two people.

“Makakasiguro po ang sambayanan na wala hong whitewash na mangyayari. Ito na nga ay nag-order na si (National Capital Region Police Office [NCRPO] chief Director Oscar) Albayalde na i-relieve or ni-relieve niya na ‘yung mga pulis na sangkot dito,” Communications Sec. Martin Andanar said in an interview over state-run Radyo Pilipinas.

(We assure the public that there will be no whitewash that will happen. Now that (Director) Albayalde ordered the relief of the police involved in this incident.)

READ: Mandaluyong shooting: A sad case of miscommunication?

“Ang mahalaga ho dito ay magkaroon tayo ng isang impartial, isang patas na imbestigasyon na hindi lang ho doon sa mga pulis, kung ‘di dapat kasama ‘yung mga nag-tip,” he added.

(What is important here is to have an impartial and fair investigation not just on the police involved, but including those who gave the tip.)

Two people have been killed in a shooting incident along Shaw Boulevard in Barangay Addition Hills after members of the Mandaluyong City Police and two barangay tanod (village watchmen) fired upon at the wrong vehicle on Thursday night.

The authorities opened fire at a Mitsubishi Adventure that was supposed to transport to a hospital an injured woman who had been shot in an earlier shooting incident thinking it was the getaway vehicle of the suspects.

The woman, Jonalyn Amba-an, and a certain Jomar Hayawun were killed in the incident while two others, Amba-an’s live-in partner, Eliseo Aluad, and Danilo Santiago were seriously hurt.

Albayalde has ordered the relief of Mandaluyong City police chief Senior Supt. Moises Villaceran Jr. and 10 of his men. /jpv