ARMSCOR execs request police protection

The ambush-slay last week of an executive of a local gun manufacturing firm in Marikina City sent his fellow executives scampering for police protection.

The request of the officials of Armscor of the Philippines, which has offices and a warehouse in Barangay Parang, are now being acted upon by Chief Superintendent Oscar Valenzuela, director of the Eastern Police District (EPD).

Senior Superintendent Felipe Rojas Jr., Marikina City police chief, refused to say how many Armscor executives are seeking police protection but he gave assurance that they would "act on the matter with urgency."

To make sure that the ambush-slay of Danilo de la Paz would not be repeated, Rojas said he also intends to revive the police detachment in Barangay Parang, which will be manned by local policemen 24 hours a day.

"Aside from their police escorts, we also intend to revive the police outpost in the barangay to assure Armscor executives of police visibility in the area," Rojas said in an interview.

De la Paz was on his way to work on Wednesday when five armed men shot him at close range while he was negotiating a curve at the corner of Fortune Ave. and Champaca Street in Barangay Parang at about 9:35 p.m.

Witnesses said the suspects, who are in their early 20s, appeared to be waiting for the victim in the area since early morning. Four of them approached De la Paz’s gray Isuzu Trooper and opened fire.

The suspects dragged the victim’s body out of the vehicle and tried to start the engine but failed. They grabbed De la Paz’s clutch bag and commandered a vehicle towards the city proper. The get-away vehicle was recovered in a nearby barangay.

Rojas said De la Paz started getting death threats last November at the height of negotiations for Armscor’s collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with its labor union.

He said De la Paz altered his work schedule but he appeared to have lowered his guard when the suspects struck last Wednesday. It was not yet known whether he was carrying or had fired a gun at the time of the ambush.

Rojas said its too early to tell whether the CBA negotiations has something to do with the killing.

"We are looking at all angles and labor dispute is one of them," Valenzuela told The Star last Friday.

Earlier, Rojas dispatched three teams of police operatives in the provinces to track down and arrest the killers.

The Marikina City police chief said they are following up a "good lead" but refused to divulge information so as not to jeopardize follow-up operations.

Rojas has ordered intensified foot and mobile patrols in Barangay Parang to prevent attempts on the lives of other Armscor officials.

He said standby checkpoints will also be erected in strategic areas to intercept armed criminals and to implement the Commission on Elections (Comelec) gun ban. — Non Alquitran