The gunmen who killed Aparri, Cagayan Vice Mayor Rommel Alameda and his five other companions in an ambush in Nueva Vizcaya deliberately used police uniforms and a stolen government plate in an apparent bid to mislead the ensuing investigation.
This developed as the getaway car of the suspects in the ambush was found burned in Barangay Uddiawan, Solano, Nueva Vizcaya at dawn on Monday, Feb. 20.
Gen. Rodolfo Azurin, Jr., chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), said the red plate that was attached to the getaway car of the gunmen was traced to a vehicle registered as official car of a school, adding that the car was already abandoned since it is already beyond repair.
"So we are looking into this, how come that they were able to get the license plate of a vehicle that was already impounded or beyond economic repair," said Azurin.
The official, however, did not divulge further details as all the information is now being handled by a local task force.
Based on the report of the local police, the armed men were wearing a police uniform when they blocked a road in front of the M.V. Duque Elementary School in Sitio Kinacao, Barangay Baretbet, in Bagabag town on Sunday morning, Feb. 19.
The gunmen also used the barricade of the school to block the road and later shot the vehicle of Alameda repeatedly.
Azurin said they are now looking into the incident in connection withe use of police uniform.
"We are looking into a possibility on the involvement of any policemen or that the uniforms were just by the suspects," said Azurin.
Alameda died on the spot along with five other men inside the vehicle.