(Eagle News)–The police are investigating the driver of the back-up vehicle of former Pangasinan Gov. Amado Espino Jr. in connection with Wednesday’s ambush that led to the deaths of two people.
In a press briefing on Thursday, Sept. 12, Col. Redrico Maranan, Pangasinan provincial director and head of the Special Investigation Task Group tasked to look into the incident, said Anthony Columbino, a retired policeman, is being probed after police, who initially thought he had been hurt and was in a hospital, found out he went back to his province after the incident.
Maranan said Columbino has been traced and has been asked to return.
But Columbino for his part said he was only traumatized by the incident.
Based on investigation, Espino’s convoy came from the town of Basista and was about to enter San Carlos when they were attacked.
Police said Espino was at that time on board a black sport utility vehicle, together with his driver Agapito Cuizon and police escort Jason Malsi Tolinao.
Behind the vehicle was the Toyota Innova being driven by Columbino, and passengers Richard Esguerra and Kevin Marbori, Espino’s security escorts.
The police said more than ten people on board a blue Ford, a black vehicle and a red Hyundai and who were positioned at the end of Ilang road, in the corner of Perez St., ambushed them.
Based on investigation, Espino’s vehicle was the first to be hit by bullets, but the driver managed to speed away even after the attack toward the direction of a nearby hospital.
The vehicle never reached the hospital as Cuizon passed away but Espino managed to walk around 20 meters to reach it.
The back-up vehicle, on the other hand, got stuck in the crime scene, leading to the death of Esguerra.
Recovered were the red Hyundai abandoned by the suspects.
The red car contained 5 armalites, two M14s, one shotgun and one grenade when found.
The vehicle has been brought to the police provincial office crime lab to determine if it had been used in other crimes, Maranan said.
Found in the crime scene were almost 200 shells of high-powered firearms.
Death threats
According to Maranan, last week, Espino wrote to him to ask him for security detail because of supposed death threats he had been receiving.
Maranan said the PPO provided him with two security policemen.
The vehicles in Espino’s convoy will also be subjected to a bullet trajectory exam.
The police are also coordinating with the Land Transportation Office and the Highway Patrol Group to determine the owners of the vehicles used by the suspects which were caught on footage by a closed-circuit television camera in the area. Nora Dominguez
