Cops maximize visibility to prevent more ambush-slays

Western Police District (WPD) director Chief Superintendent Pedro Bulaong ordered his men yesterday to maximize their visibility in the streets of Manila to thwart ambush-style killings at the same time threatening his 11 police station chiefs of relief in case another such incident takes place in their jurisdiction.

A source at yesterday’s command conference said an irked Bulaong lost his cool over the spate of ambush-slays in Manila, including the killing of a businessman in Sta. Cruz last Wednesday.

Bulaong berated the 11 police station commanders for their seeming laxity in ensuring the safety of Manila residents and ordered the homicide unit chief to expedite the solution of the six ambush-slays that took place in Manila, according to the source.

The spate of killings began with the attack on sports patron Go Teng Kok last July 1. Last July 25, Customs collector Felipe Bartolome survived an ambush but his aide was killed. On Aug. 13, 15 and 17, three persons were killed, ambush-style. And on Aug. 20, a trader was gunned down in front of his medical supply store.

Except for Go’s ambush, suspects in the five incidents have yet to be caught.

For his part, WPD-Homicide section commander Chief Inspector Juanito Taluban said relentless follow-up operations are being conducted to snare the perpetrators.

"But the lack of witnesses is hampering our investigation," he said, adding his operatives have to undergo casing of probable suspects and establish their movement pattern, while working on the motive.

He said his men found no witnesses in the recent ambush-slays and only depended on information received through telephone calls.

"We have to entertain all calls, then verify them. But we do not ignore any information that reaches us. It might be of great help," Taluban said.

Taluban nixed at the idea of having fall guys just to satisfy the clamor for solution of the case from the public. "It’s better to release a hundred suspects, than to incarcerate an innocent one," he said.

He also refused to give a time-frame for the solution of the ambush-slays, stressing that "we are constantly monitoring all possible angles."