By MydsSupnad
BANGUED, Abra – A
police task force is now investigating the killing of an official of the
Department of Justice who was also a former newsman who was shot dead Wednesday
afternoon here along the busy street in Zone 5, Cordillera police director
Senior Supt. Isagani Nerez said.
Senior Supt. Virgilio Laya,
Abra police director in a report to the regional police office in Camp Dangwa,
Benguet said, Jacinto “Jack” Torqueza, administrative officer of the
Prosecutor's Office was ambushed by gunmen using Cal. 45, handgun with a
silencer in front of Mike’s Department Store in Zone 5.
He died on the spot
due to five gunshot wounds.
Torqueza, 47, was
formerly contributing news to Manila Bulletin and anchorman of DZPA radio.
Initial investigation
conducted by Bangued police disclosed that prior to the incident, the victim
attended the birthday party of Atty. Marcelo Ortega in Barikir, Zone 5.
At about 6 p.m.
Wednesday, he fetched his wife from her work at Dept. of Agrarian Reform office
at Zone 4 using his colored green and black Kawasaki ZX 130 motorcycle bearing
plate number AF 6475.
However, police said
having left his cellphone at the house of Ortega, he went back to the place of
celebration at about 6:15 p.m.
Laya said at about
6:25 p.m. while he was traversing Taft Street in Zone 5, he was shot several
times by the suspect/s from the back.
The victim sustained
two gunshot wounds on his right side, one on his right hand and two on his
spinal cord.
The victim was rushed
to Seares Memorial Hospital by responding police for medical treatment but was
declared dead on arrival by the attending physician.
Suspect fled to
unknown direction after the incident.
Police said there was
a possibility the victim was shot at a close range as evidenced by gun powder
burns on his back.
An interview by police
with a security guard of Mike’s Super Store, bared the latter did not hear gun
fire.
He only noticed that
the victim crashed on the pavement not knowing that he was shot.
Police recovered three
fired cartridge cases for Cal. 45 from the crime scene.
Motive has yet to be
determined as investigation is still ongoing.
Nerez created Thursday Task Force “Turqueza,”
following the murder of Turqueza, an
employee of the Office of the Provincial Prosecutor of Abra.
Nerez will be sending additional troops to
the province to help in the maintenance of the peace and order and security in
the area.
“We have created a Special
Investigation Task Group we dubbed as Task Force Turqueza to handle the focused
and intensified investigation into the shooting death of Jacinto Turqueza last
Wednesday,” said Nerez, adding he will be sending one company from the Regional
Public Safety Battalion to augment the provincial police force.
“The additional manpower will form the
Anti-Crime Task Group, which will assume the functions of the defunct Task
Force Abra, which was deactivated only last year,” Nerez said.
He has designated Police Senior Supt.
Albertito Garcia as task group commander, with Supt. Mark Pespes, deputy
commander of the RPSB, as ground commander of the anti-crime task group.
Nerez said he intends to form the Anti-Crime
Task Group to replace the defunct Task Force Abra, which was created purposely
to go after private armed groups, gun-for-hire syndicates and other organized
crime groups, which are all actively engaged in various criminal activities in
Abra.
Task Force Abra, which has been in existence
for more than a decade, has been credited for the improved peace and order
situation in the province, particularly in the conduct of peaceful and orderly
elections because of its effective anti-crime operations that saw the
dismantling of private armed groups operating in the area. -- With
reports by Myds Supnad and Mar Supnad
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