Personal, business rivalry ruled out in Castillejos ambush

The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) ruled out yesterday personal and business rivalry as the motives behind the ambush of Batanes Gov. Telesforo Castillejos and his driver in Pasay City last Sept. 3.

“We dug into the background of Castillejos and we saw no reason that women and business could have triggered the attack that hurt him and his driver Albert Patimo,” Senior Superintendent Ericson Velasquez, head of the CIDG National Capital Region (NCR), told The STAR.

However, Velasquez said they are determining whether three political issues “are serious enough” to merit an ambush on Castillejos, who insisted that the attack on him was “politically motivated.” He also said they do not have enough basis to summon politicians in connection with the shooting.

He noted that Castillejos is involved in the filing of a case against a politician before the Ombudsman, spearheaded the audit of infrastructure projects in Batanes when he assumed his post, and is engaged in a bitter quarrel with another politician in his province.

CIDG investigators have talked to Castillejos and Patimo but gained no important leads, such as the plate number of their attackers’ vehicle, to help them solve the case.

After recuperating from gunshot wounds in the nape and left shoulder, Castillejos vowed to work for reconciliation with his political enemies in his province after he was discharged from the Medical City Wednesday.

Because of the incident, Castillejos promised to hire bodyguards for himself and his entire family. Velasquez said the National Capital Regional Police Office is providing security for Castillejos.