Bodyguard of Sonny O shot dead

CEBU, Philippines - A bodyguard and close friend of former Sen. John Henry “Sonny” Osmeña was shot dead by two unidentified men right after paying his electric bill in Barangay Luray II, Toledo City yesterday morning.

Rene Embralinag, 42, of Barangay Captain Claudio, succumbed to multiple gunshot wounds in his chest, neck and back body.

He was rushed to the Toledo City Hospital but he did not make it alive.

Embralinag was on board his motorcycle heading to Barangay Poblacion from the Cebu Electric Cooperative (CEBECO) Inc. office when the incident happened.

The attackers were also on board a motorcycle and were tailing him at around 10:45 a.m.

Witnesses said the gunman who was wearing a ski mask and a khaki jacket, pulled out a firearm and repeatedly shot Embralinag.

He fell on the road while the assailants immediately fled.

Supt. Henry Biñas, Toledo City police chief, said they are pursuing several possible motives in the attack.

Biñas said Embranilag was an informant of the police and of the military and has reported about the existence of marijuana plantations in Todelo City and in Balamban town.

He was also actively involved in the activities of the union of the Carmen Copper Corporation.

He has a pending criminal case but he was out on bail.

Biñas said they will also look into the angle that the attack has something to do with politics although the victim’s son has dismissed this possibility.

But Osmeña is certain that politics was behind the attack.

“It was a big blow to me and very alarming and I am 100 percent sure that it is politics,” Osmeña said in a phone interview.

Osmeña said he was also warned about his security and Embralinag’s death surprised him that he immediately flew to Cebu last night.

Osmeña is running for mayor in Toledo City against incumbent Toledo City Mayor Aurelio Espinosa.

Recovered from the crime scene were six empty shells and one slug of a .45 caliber handgun.

SPO4 Gil Lastimosa of Toledo City Police  told The FREEMAN that a road block was done in barangays of Don Andres Soriano and Matab-ang but no one was arrested.

 Lastimosa added the execution of the attack was well-planned as the assailants knew where to flee.

Osmeña will meet with Police Regional Office-7 director Marcelo Garbo and  Biñas today.

In 2011, Embralinag and two others, Renato Cuyos and Martino Pila, were charged with estafa by one Margelyn Ambrad, of Barangay Don Andres Soriano.

The three allegedly ran off her P800,000 which she invested in a crude oil business.

Ambrad met the three through a certain Joel who convinced her to engage in the business of supplying crude oil to ships.

She was told that they will get supply from Subic and sell the product here in Cebu. They even showed her documents to prove that their business was legal.

However,  after Ambrad invested P800,000, the suspects went missing. —/MBG (FREEMAN)