QCPD: Photo journalist’s ambush solved, but not closed

MANILA, Philippines — The shooting of photojournalist Joshua Abiad and his family in Barangay Masambong, Quezon City has been considered solved as authorities recovered one of the vehicles used by members of a gun-for-hire ring in the ambush on Wednesday night.

The vehicle, a Toyota Vios with license plate NFE-5678, was found by operatives of the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) at the house of its registered owner in Barangay San Anton, San Leonardo, Nueva Ecija at around 7:40 p.m.

QCPD director Brig. Gen. Nicolas Torre said the car’s license plate was different from the one recorded on closed-circuit television footage when Abiad was ambushed on June 29.

“The car is owned by the wife of one of the suspects,” Torre said at a press briefing.

He was referring to a man, known only as Oca, a dismissed police officer, who was reportedly the one who drove the vehicle during the attack on Abiad.

Torre said the woman, whom he identified as Katrina, claimed that she was unaware that her vehicle was used in a crime.

The car was spotted heading toward Barangay Tunasan in Muntinlupa after the ambush, according to police.

Investigation showed that the suspects also tampered with the vehicle’s conduction sticker and replaced it with a Las Piñas friendship route sticker to mislead investigators.

“It led us really on a wild goose chase, but eventually makikita pa rin natin ang tunay na mastermind,” Torre said.

The vehicle was brought to the QCPD’s criminal investigation and detection unit at Camp Karingal for safekeeping.

Two motorcycles were also used by the suspects in the attack on Abiad, probers said.

The jacket worn by Eduardo Legazpi II, one of the alleged contract killers who was arrested in Muntinlupa last week, was recovered by police.

Legazpi’s jacket will be subjected to forensic examination and DNA testing, Torre said.

“Most probably makakakuha tayo ng mga fibers diyan,” Torre said.

He said the case is still not closed as police have launched a manhunt for at least seven more suspects, including a former barangay chairman in Pasay City known only as Nanad, whom the QCPD tagged as the alleged mastermind.

A background investigation on Nanad showed the suspect was previously arrested by the National Bureau of Investigation on drug charges, Torre said.

Police said Nanad has deactivated his social media accounts and gone into hiding.