The killing of three persons on board a white Mazda sedan in an ambush in Barangay Palampas, San Carlos City, Negros Occidental, on Sunday could be a case of mistaken identity, Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said Monday, February 21.
“I am calling on our (police) provincial director to confirm this story that there was a mistaken identity, the real target was not even inside the car,” he said.
“We need to indentify who their target was and the reason why he was the target. We also would like to know who the perpetrators of this heinous crime are,“ he said.
“It is very unfortunate for those personalities inside the car,” Lacson said, adding that he was told that they were going to a cockpit because there was a derby going on.
Those killed were very ordinary people of San Carlos City, he added.
Lacson said he has not received any information of New People’s Army involvement.
Killed in the ambush Sunday were Andre Briones Fajardo, 18, Russel Fajardo Bucao, 40, and Rudy Capuyan Dela Fuente, 51, of San San Carlos City who were onboard a white Mazda sedan when they were fired upon in a remote area in Barangay Palampas, PLt. Col. Jesus Mesahon Jr., San Carlos City police chief, said.
Injured was Renante Palabrica Chui, 27.
As of Monday afternoon they had no leads of the perpetrators, Lt. Ruby Aurita, San Carlos police spokesperson, said.
Talk that it was a mistaken identity case is not backed by concrete evidence, it is just hearsay for now, she said.
The case is still under follow up investigation to determine the motive for the killings, she said.
The governor also said there has been no progress in the investigation into the killing of Marton Cui, provincial consultant on hospital operations, in San Carlos City in April last year.
He hopes the investigation of the killing of the three on Sunday will have results, Lacson said.*