PNP completes sketches of suspects in MMDA exec slay try

MANILA, Philippines - Investigators on Tuesday said they have completed cartographic sketches of some suspects tagged in Monday's ambush that killed a Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) executive's driver and his son wounded in San Pedro, Laguna. In a telephone interview, Laguna provincial police chief Senior Superintendent Manolito Labador said the sketches were based on accounts of several people who witnessed the ambush that targeted MMDA sidewalk clearing operations head Roberto Esquivel's vehicle. Labador said the suspects dined at an eatery while waiting for Esquivel's vehicle to pass by. "Kumain sila sa karenderya at dun nila inabangan yung sasakyan ni Bobby Esquivel. May mga tao dun na nakakita sa kanila at sila yung nagbigay ng description," said Labador. At least six suspects were tagged as perpetrators in the ambush which occurred in Brgy. San Vicente in San Pedro town around 7:30 a.m. The incident left Esquivel's driver Johnny Agbay killed and his son Micko wounded. The suspects later identified themselves as members of the Armadong Operatiba ng Partidong Marxista-Leninista ng Pilipinas in leaflets they left in the area. The leaflets read that Esquivel was the target of the ambush for allegedly leading violent dispersals of sidewalk vendors in Metro Manila. "Parusang kamatayan ang hatol ng Partisan kay Roberto Esquivel, pangunahing opisyal ng MMDA… Bilang director ng MMDA na nakatalaga sa Sidewalk Clearing Operations naging responsible ito sa mga serye ng mararahas na aksyon laban sa mga maralita…na nagresulta ng pagkamatay ng dalawang maralita sa Guadalupe," the group said in the leaflets. While the involvement of communist rebels is being considered by authorities, Labador said they are still not discounting for other possible motives behind the ambush, saying the leaflets may have just been deliberately left in the crime scene in order to mislead the investigation. - GMANews.TV