CITY OF SAN FERNANDO — Violence capped the week-long observance of the PNP’s Crime Prevention Week with one dead and another injured in twin ambushcades at the city’s business district Monday.
Police Lt. Colonel Paul Gamido, city police chief, said the first ambush occured past 7 am along MacArthur Highway in Barangay San Agustin, wounding Universal Robina Corporation executive Nelson Pineda, 49.
At around 11 am, unidentified gunmen waylaid a motorist stuck in a traffic light near SM City Pampanga.
The victim was identified as Mario Lagman Lalic, 67, of Catlleya Street, Diamond Subdivision, Angeles City.
Lalic was driving his Toyota Hi-Lux pick-up truck (RJS-256) when shot from behind by a lone gunman.
Gamido said investigation is in progress to determine the motives behind the incidents which observers described it very unusual.
“It’s like a gangland fashion killing,” said a one of the motorists who personally witnessed the ambush at the stoplight adjacent to SM CIty Pampanga at Barangay San Jose here.
Gamido said a rider, sporting shorts, black jacket, crash helmet and rubber sandals, alighted from a black motorcycle and shot the victim several times at point blank range.
He said all gunshot wounds are fatal. Over in San Agustin, Gamido said Pineda was on board a Mitsubishi sedan when a black sports utility vehicle overtook and shot the victim.
Pineda suffered two gunshot wounds and is recuperating in an undisclosed hospital in City of San Fernando.
Police investigators are still facing a blank wall as to the motive. Gamido directed investigators to scan all security cameras in surrounding establishments and along Jose Abad Santos Avenue to identify the suspects. Spent casings for handguns were recovered by investigators in both crime scenes.