Grenade kills 2 at wake for dad of rob-slay witness

At least two persons were killed after unidentified men threw a grenade at the wake of the father of a witness in the robbery-slay last July of RPN-9 television cameraman Ralph Ruñez. The police said the incident, which took place shortly before 1 a.m. Saturday, was likely part of a vendetta by policemen who had been linked to the crime. "May kinalaman ito sa dalawang pulis na kinanta, may kinalaman ito sa case had been linked to the crime by witnesses)," Caloocan City police’s special investigation and intelligence bureau head Supt. Napoleon Cuaton said in an interview on dzRH radio. Cuaton said the "vendetta plan" may have started to unfodl as early as October, when one of the suspects was shot dead in a supposed accident at the Caloocan City jail. One of the fatalities was initially identified as Roberto Raba. The other was an unidentified old woman. At least 22 others were reportedly injured and rushed to the Dr. Jose Rodriguez Memorial Hospital. The wake was for Ceferino Galarce, father of one of the suspects who had turned government witness in the crime. Last July 28, Ruñez, 35, was shot dead by men who robbed him of P35,000, which he had just withdrawn for the salaries of workers in his water-station business in Caloocan City last July 28. Caloocan police Insp. Bryan Limbo, PO3 Aristotle de Guzman and Hernani Magnayon, and Charles Galarce were eventually arrested and charged for the crime. Last Oct. 7, Magnayon, 29, died in a supposed accident when a visiting jail guard’s firearm went off at about noon. Last Nov. 6, Galarce’s father Ceferino was shot dead by unidentified gunmen. "Charles Galarce is the witness on the government side. He pinpointed the suspects involved in robbery with homicide. Naging vendetta or revenge ito. When one of the suspects was shot doon nagumpisa ang paghihiganti." (Charles Galarce is the witness on the government side. He pinpointed the suspects involved in robbery with homicide. So this has become a game of vendetta. We believe the vendetta plan went into motion with the shooting of one of the suspects)," Cuaton said. The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has already started its own parallel probe, focusing on the "accidental" shooting of Magnayon. Reynaldo Esmeralda, deputy director for regional operations service, said he has assigned NBI National Capital Region chief Ruel Lasala to head the investigation of the death Magnayon. The younger Galarce, in his sworn statement to the police, said Limbo and De Guzman were present when the plan to rob Ruñez was discussed. He also said the police officers were involved in robberies in Bagong Silang, Caloocan City where they were assigned. Magnayon was allegedly shot by Jail Officer 2 Ricardo Zulueta, a visiting jail guard, around noon Saturday inside the Caloocan City Jail where the victim was detained. Zulueta claimed his service firearm went off as he tried to place it under his pillow while the victim was giving him a massage. - GMANews.Tv