Task force probes attack on Taberna’s coffee shop

MANILA, Philippines - The Quezon City Police District (QCPD) has formed a special investigation task group to probe the shooting of the coffee shop owned by broadcaster Anthony Taberna in Quezon City.

Chief Inspector Rodel Marcelo, chief of the QCPD’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit (CIDU), said  the task group would hunt down and arrest the gunmen. 

Marcelo earlier said the QCPD-CIDU is conducting a parallel investigation with members of the Masambong police station. “Ka Tunying’s Coffee Shop” is along Visayas Avenue in Barangay Vasra. 

H e said probers have yet to establish the identity of the suspects. 

Senior Superintendent Danilo Bautista, QCPD deputy district director for administration, was named task group commander and Superintendent Christian dela Cruz, Masambong police station commander  as assistant.

 Superintendents Dennis de Leon, Rodrigo Bauto Jr. and Francisco Supe Jr. and Chief Inspectors Marcelo, Enrico Figueroa, Richard Ian Ang, Jeffrey Bilaro and Jay Icawat were named task group members.

Footage from a closed-circuit television camera installed near the coffee shop showed four suspects on motorcycles. One of the suspects reportedly asked the security guard of the adjacent Chubs Chaser’s restaurant if he had a gun before they started firing.  

The QCPD had released a sketch of one of the gunmen, who was described to be in his 40s, around 5’6” in height, semi-bald, medium-built and with fair complexion.    

Not related to INC crisis

Iglesia ni Cristo spokesman Edwil Zabala denied allegations that INC leaders were behind the shooting of Taberna’s coffee shop since the broadcaster, who is a member of the INC, does not speak about the church’s crisis. 

“That would be a very, very serious accusation against us. Why would we do it to our fellow members?... Why would the leaders of the church do that? That’s another example of a lie being peddled by people against the leadership of the Iglesia ni Cristo,” Zabala said. 

Taberna, a nephew of expelled INC minister Isaias Samson Jr. – who filed a complaint against INC leaders with the Department of Justice – appeared during the INC rally at EDSA Shaw on Sunday.

He filed a leave of absence from his television and radio shows on ABS-CBN, citing conflict of interest.