Seized van with firearms registered under Jinkee Pacquiao

ALABEL, Sarangani Province (April 28, 2010) – It was confirmed that the van used by the suspects, who were reportedly accused of planning to ambush Glan incumbent Mayor Enrique “Yoyong” Yap in Barangay Pangyan, Glan on Monday, was registered under the name of Jinkee Pacquiao, wife of Sarangani congressional candidate Manny Pacquiao, of the People’s Champ Movement (PCM).

In a document secured from the Land Transportation Office (LTO), it was stated that the Toyota Hi-Ace van colored gray with plate number MDM-577, with engine number 2KD1929032 and chassis number JTFJS02P305008418, was registered under the name of Jinkee Jamora Pacquiao on July 6, 2009, whose address appeared to be in NLSA Road in Lagao, General Santos City where the boxing champ’s residence was located.

It was in the same vehicle where police recovered the M16 armalite rifle with serial number 121553 with short and long magazines loaded with 48 live ammunitions.

Meanwhile, the five suspects (not four as reported earlier) were already brought to the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office for inquest proceedings on April 27. They were charged of Illegal Possession of Firearms.

The suspects were identified as Jimmy Mier, resident of Zamboanga del Sur; Renante Bangkas, resident of Barangay Lagao, General Santos City; Freddie Mendez and Ronald Elorde, both residents of Barangay Calumpang in the same city, and one Alfredo Macabacyao, of Lagao.

In an interview with Macabacyao, the driver of the van registered under the name of Jinkee Pacquiao, he said he did not know the other suspects and that he just met them the night they were arrested. “Gipara lang ko niya (Mier), naa siya’y dala nga armalite. Gitionan ko niya ug namugos siya nga pasakyon nako siya. Gikan ko sa Margus (Glan) kay naghatod og mga poster (ni Manny Pacquiao), pagbalik nako sa may Tamparan, gipara ko niya (I was flagged down by Mier, he was holding an armalite. He pointed the firearm at me and he forced me to let him board on the van. I was from Margus, I delivered posters of Manny Pacquiao, when I was on my way back, at Sitio Tamparan, he flagged me down),” said Macabacyao who admitted that he was really the driver of the van and he was hired by the PCM camp to install and deliver posters.

On the other hand, Pastor Ombrino Ibon, resident of Barangay Pangyan, asserted that the suspects know each other as he saw them in the house of his brother, Romeo Ibon. “Gihimong silbing headquarters nila ang balay sa akong igsuon, mohapit na sila diha mokaon, makit-an nako na sila didto maghatud og mga poster. Usahay maghatud na sila og bugas, sud-an, kape, kunsumo nila tungod daghang mga tao ang ginapakaon didto, pulos mamosteray. Kaduha na mi nag-meet ana nila pero wala lang ko makabalo sa ilang mga pangalan, mao g’yud nang mga dagwaya, kana silang lima (They used the house of my brother as their headquarters. They go there to eat, and I saw them there when they delivered posters. Sometimes, they will bring rice, viand, and coffee for their consumption, there are a lot of people in the headquarters and all of them are assigned to install posters. I already met the five of them twice, the same faces I saw, but that time, I still don’t know their names yet),” Ibon said.

Atty. Emilio Quianzon, legal counsel of Sarangani Reconciliation and Reformation Organization (Sarro), Mayor Yoyong Yap’s political party, said aside from the charges of Illegal Possession of Firearms, he still cannot determine what other cases could possibly be filed against the five suspects in connection with the alleged ambush attempt to Mayor Yap.

“I am here to observe the inquest proceedings. The incident kaugnay kay Mayor Yap is still under investigation. Depende sa ebidensiya kung ano pang pwedeng ma-file sa mga suspects, pero sa ngayon wala pa tayong access sa evidence ng police, wala pa akong masasabi kung ano pang case ang pwedeng i-file,” Quianzon concluded. ###