Armed men fire at delivery truck

From the Daily Guardian (Dec 20): Armed men fire at delivery truck

NO ONE WAS hurt after armed men shot a delivery truck evening of Dec. 17, 2018 in Janiuay, Iloilo.

The truck of MD ROS loaded with 2,200 heads of broiler chicken was passing by Barangay Caraudan, some 7 kilometers from Janiuay town, when the incident happened.

The driver, Jereme Panghari, 36, and his two helpers, Joseph Panghari, 20, and Olibert Silonar, 18, all of Barangay Tungay, Sta. Barbara town, came from a poultry farm in Caraudan village, around a kilometer from the crime scene, when at least three men waylaid them.

They claimed to have heard a burst of gunfire. Residents said they heard three gunshot volleys.

Senior Inspector John Paul Guay, Janiuay police chief, said they recovered three empty shells of caliber .45 pistol from the crime scene

Meanwhile, the victims said they saw the gunmen fleeing on foot. They believed there were other individuals who stood as back-up, as they saw the three gunmen signaling at them to retreat to a nearby river.

The three victims immediately sought help from the barangay captain of Caraudan.

Guay said they could still not ascertain the suspects in the incident.

But he’s not discounting the possibility that the New People’s Army (NPA) could be behind the ambush.

“We were thinking that the NPA staged the gun attack for government forces to respond. While en route to the area, they would ambush us,” Guay said.

Since no one was injured, police authorities did not immediately respond to the crime scene.

A day after the Janiuay incident, two harassment cases were recorded in Tapaz, Capiz.

Suspected NPA rebels fired at CAA (CAFGU Active Auxiliaries) but failed to hurt anyone m.

Guay is also considering “protection racket” as the incident’s motive.

“They have to create fear for business to ask for protection,” he said.

Authorities are looking at the NPA or members of the Revolutionary Proletarian Army – Alex Boncayao Brigade (RPA-ABB) to be behind the ambush.

The truck owner told police investigators that they have not received any extortion letter from any group.

https://thedailyguardian.net/local-news/armed-men-fire-at-delivery-truck/