'Lookout' in Shariff Aguak mayor's ambush surrenders

An individual who acted as a lookout and allegedly knows the mastermind behind the ambush of the mayor of Shariff Aguak has surrendered and is now under the custody of the National Bureau of Investigation, an official said Monday.

Jeremy Lotoc, NBI regional director for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, said the individual will provide information on the identity of the mastermind behind the failed assassination attempt against Mayor Akmad Ampatuan.

“Alam niya ‘yung detalye, sino ‘yung nag-organize… sino ‘yung mastermind,” Lotoc said during a briefing.

(He knows the details—who organized it and who the mastermind is.)

Meanwhile, NBI Director Melvin Matibag said the individual served as a lookout during the January 25 ambush.

Armed men ambushed Ampatuan’s convoy while he was on his way home, firing a rocket-propelled grenade at the mayor’s sports utility vehicle.

The mayor was unharmed, but two of his bodyguards were wounded.

Matibag said the NBI would recommend that the individual be placed under the Witness Protection Program.

Lotoc said the individual had already executed an extrajudicial confession but declined to disclose its contents, saying he did not want to preempt the evaluation of the applicant witness.

He added that the individual disclosed that he was paid P15,000 for the job.

“’Yung basis nung pagsuko is… well, may mga naghahanap na kasi sa kanila. In fact, may intel kami na may patong na sa ulo. So natatakot sila para sa kanilang buhay, sa kanilang pamilya, so nag-decide silang lumapit sa NBI,” Lotoc said.

(He surrendered because people are already looking for them. In fact, we have intelligence that there is already a bounty on their heads. Fearing for their lives and their families, they decided to approach the NBI.) —MCG, GMA Integrated News