Pasay police say, Utoy could have been gunman's target

The Pasay City police are facing a blank wall in the investigation into the suspect and motive in the case of shooting victim Jayross Brondial.

But the police, after reviewing security camera footage, said the target of last Sunday's shooting could indeed have been 13-year-old Brondial, GMA News' Oscar Oida reported on "24 Oras" Thursday.

The police pointed out that the motorcycle-riding gunman could be seen in the video passing through Celeridad street a few times before shooting the victim.

However, authorities do not dispel the possibility that a certain Gary "Gayi" Alandra is the shooter's true target or that the shooting incident is related to a dispute between street gangs.

Pasay City Police chief Senior Supt. Gene Licud said Alandra was at least 30 to 50 meters from where Brondial was standing.

"'Yung isang video, may hawak-hawak na bata itong si Jayross. Then after  a while, binalik niya 'yung bata, bumalik doon (ang gunman), tsaka siya binira," Licud said.

"Yung sinasabi nilang Gayi is nandoon sa may bandang kanto. If you look into the video, 'yung kabiruan niya doon sa may kanto, nandodoon iyun sa may bandang kanto si Gayi," he added.

When police visited Alandra's home, they learned he has not returned home since Brondial's shooting.

Police also admitted that they had yet to establish the motive in Brondial's killing.

Licud said they were looking into the possibility of the Grade 6 student could be a victim of a gang war.

"What is his standing in school? Mayroon ba siyang mga nababalitaan ba 'yung adviser niya na membership niya sa mga mga gang o etcetera?"

The information that Brondial could have been the target contradicts the suspicion of his parents, who believe that he was mistaken for a drug criminal.

Utoy's mother denied the notion, saying her son was too young to be in a gang.

"Ay hindi po. Wala pong ganoon 'yung anak ko. Ayun pumunta naman po sila (police) sa teacher, tsaka sa mga kaklase't principal. Tinanong naman po namin, wala pong record sa eskuwela," the mother said.

When asked about his involvement in any gangs, Brondial's classmates who visited his wake said he is not the kind of person who gets involving with fights.

"Kahit po ina-ano po siya, sinasaktan, hindi parin po  siya pumapatol," they said. "Hindi po siya nasasangkot sa ganoon, wala po, kasi kakilala po namin siya, kaibigan namin, mabait."

Alandra, on the other hand, was reportedly having trouble.

"Hindi ko alam ho, basta nabanggit niya lang sa akin, may nagagalit sa kaniya daw, 'yun lang," said his mother, Malou.

"Kumbaga, sir, riding in tandem ka. Alam niyo naman po siguro 'yun eh. Kung sinong titirahin niyo diyan, hindi naman po siguro iyon. Tsaka hindi niya ba nakita 'yung bata," she added.

Malou was not convinced that her son could have been the target and not Brondial.

"Kung iisipin natin na ang anak ko nga ang target, ipagkumara niyo diyan sa bata na 'yan," the mother added.

Meanwhile, Brondial's body is set to be cremated on Sunday.  — Margaret Claire Layug/BAP, GMA News