Manhunt under way for gunmen of former Pangasinan Gov. Espino

Credit to Author: Tempo Desk| Date: Thu, 12 Sep 2019 06:15:38 +0000

FORMER Pangasinan Gov. Amado Espino recovering in a hospital. (Liezle Basa Inigo)

Philippine National Police chief Police Gen. Oscar Albayalde yesterday ordered a manhunt against the still unidentified assailants who ambushed the convoy of former Pangasinan Gov. and Rep. Amado Espino Jr. last Wednesday afternoon.

PNP spokesperson Police Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac said Albayalde has directed the Police Regional Office 1 (Ilocos) to immediately arrest the suspects, expedite the investigation, and file criminal charges to give justice to the victims.

Banac also said the PNP strongly condemns the attack against Espino and his bodyguards, who were fired upon by unidentified assailants around 4:30 p.m. while traversing an intersection onboard a Toyota Innova and Land Cruiser in Barangay Magtaking, San Carlos City, Pangasinan.

Espino and four others were wounded while Police Patrolman Richard Esguerra died on the spot.

Pangasinan information officer Orpheus Velasco said Espino sustained bullet wounds but is now in stable condition after undergoing treatment.

Police Col. Redrico Maranan, Pangasinan police director, said two suspected get-away vehicles of the assailants were recovered – a red Hyundai hatchback in Barangay Cobol in San Carlos City and a metallic blue Ford Everest in Barangay Pasima in Malasiqui, Pangasinan.

“There were high-powered firearms in the vehicles and the investigators are processing the (pieces of) evidence,” he said.

Maranan added that closed-circuit television cameras around the area and the dash camera of the vehicles, along with eyewitnesses, are being investigated by the authorities.

He said a special investigation task group, called SITG Espino, was formed with the joint efforts of the Pangasinan police, Crime Investigation and Detection Group Ilocos, and PRO 1, among others, to conduct an in-depth investigation
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