Several suspects eyed in shooting of photojournalist, kin - PNP

Several individuals may have been involved in the shooting of a journalist and his family in Quezon City on June 29, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said Sunday.

Interviewed on Super Radyo dzBB, PNP Public Information Office chief Police Brigadier General Red Maranan said that the Quezon City Police District was already looking at ''promising leads'' in the investigation into the shooting incident that left Remate Online photographer Joshua Abiad and several others wounded.

“Ang pinaka-latest, ayon doon sa ating district director ng QCPD, ay meron na silang tinitignang mga suspek at meron mga promising leads na tinutunton ‘yung ang ating mga imbestigador,” Maranan said.

(According to the QCPD district director, they are looking at some suspects, and there are promising leads that our investigators are pursuing.)

Abiad was onboard a vehicle with some relatives on Thursday afternoon when another vehicle blocked their way along Barangay Masambong. Two gunmen then opened fire, while a motorcycle rider allegedly served as a lookout.

Aside from Abiad and his family, a bystander was also hit by a stray bullet, according to the police.

Maranan said that the police could not yet disclose the motive for the crime.

“‘Yung evidence, ‘yun ang magtuturo ng motibo. For now, ayaw muna nating isapubliko ang motibo sapagkat baka ito ay maka-preempt doon sa resulta ng investigation natin at baka ma-alerto rin ang mga tao na may kinalaman,” he added.

(The evidence will point to the motive. For now, we don't want to publicize the motive because it might preempt the results of our investigation and also alert the people involved.)

The PNP announced on Friday that a special investigation task group (SITG) was created to probe the shooting incident as PNP chief Police General Benjamin Acorda Jr. ordered expediting the investigation and identification of the perpetrators. —VBL, GMA Integrated News