MMDA exec’s son wounded in ambush

Gunmen mistook his son for him

MANILA, Philippines – Six suspected communist hitmen Monday strafed the vehicle of a Metropolitan Manila Development Authority official in San Pedro, Laguna, killing his driver and wounding his 14-year-old son.

Johnny Agbay, 34, died on the spot while Mico Esquivel –
son of MMDA sidewalk clearing operations chief Roberto Esquivel – was rushed to the Asian Hospital in Alabang, Muntinlupa, where he was operated on for five bullet wounds.

The police said the target of the attack was the elder Esquivel who was not in the vehicle when the shooting occurred because he had left early to attend a meeting in Manila.

They based this on leaflets with the heading “Partisano” which were found near the scene. These were signed by Moises Leonardo who identified himself as the leader of the Armadong Operatiba ng Partido Marxista-Leninista (Armed Operatives of the Marxist-Leninist Party).

Leonardo’s message read: “Parusang kamatayan ang hatol ng Partisano kay Roberto Esquivel, pangunahing opisyal ng MMDA… Bilang director ng MMDA na nakatalaga sa sidewalk clearing operations, naging responsible ito sa mga serye ng mararahas na aksyon laban sa mga maralita…na nagresulta ng pagkamatay ng dalawang maralita sa Guadalupe [The death penalty is handed down by Partisano on Roberto Esquivel, ranking official of the MMDA… As director of the MMDA tasked to carry out sidewalk clearing operations, he was responsible for a series of violent actions against the poor… which resulted in the deaths of two poor persons in Guadalupe].”

Initial investigation showed that at around 7 a.m. Monday, the victims were on board a white Pajero in Barangay San Vicente, San Pedro, Laguna, when the six men carrying M-16 rifles and handguns fired upon them.

Witnesses said that afterward, one of the gunmen peered into the vehicle and then shouted to his companions, “Hindi ito ang target natin (This is not our target).”

The six then escaped on board two tricycles.

The young Esquivel was on his way to school when he and the driver were attacked.

His father told the Inquirer (parent company of INQ.net) in a phone interview that he believed the incident was related to his sensitive work at the MMDA.

According to him, the flyers left by the gunmen were proof that a group of communist rebels were after him due to the agency’s alleged “harsh” removal of illegal vendors and settlers.

“It was probably the NPA or leftists but they should weigh everything. If they were paid to do this and if they think what we are doing is antipoor, they should also look at how it has benefited the public,” he told the Inquirer in Filipino.

The MMDA official, however, stressed that their demolition operations cannot justify an ambush that nearly led to the death of his youngest child.

“I’m just doing my job, I’m only a government employee. They should not take it personally. They shouldn’t involve the innocent,” he said.

“It’s painful to accept that they’re targeting me when I’m just doing my job. Chairman Fernando and I just want to bring some order to the sidewalks and the traffic. Why is that a sin?” he added.

He reported that his son was in stable condition after the operation, which took several hours.

According to him, the gunmen probably assumed that he was in the vehicle too since he sometimes took his son to school. On Monday, however, he left early in the morning to attend a meeting in Manila.

He said the suspects probably mistook his son for him since they were almost of the same build.

Hours after the shooting, MMDA Chair Bayani Fernando said they would also conduct their own probe of the incident.

“We’re looking into this also. But we still have to wait for the results of the police investigation,” he told the Inquirer over the phone.

“We deplore in the strongest terms this abominable act and we’re hoping our police will be able to identify and arrest whoever did this abhorrent and despicable crime… For the moment, let’s just let the police investigate the incident. We cannot preempt the ongoing investigation,” Fernando added.

According to him, he and other MMDA officials were used to receiving death threats because of their job.

“Karaniwan na ‘yan sa trabaho namin. Ako rin meron (It’s common among us. I have some, too),” said the MMDA chair who was in Ilocos Sur for an engagement.

Fernando, meanwhile, urged the public not to speculate on the motive for the attempt on the older Esquivel’s life while the investigation into the incident was ongoing.

At the same time, however, he stressed that they would not ease up on their crackdown on sidewalk vendors and illegal settlers.

“Punong puno na nga ng vendors ang Manila. We even have an academy to train our people… Hindi tayo pwedeng tumigil dun. Hindi tayo dapat tumigil (Metro Manila is filled with vendors. We cannot stop our operations. We shouldn’t stop),” Fernando said.

Aside from providing financial assistance to the victims, he also promised to beef up the security of his officials to ensure their safety.