President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered the Philippine National Police (PNP) to conduct a thorough investigation into the shooting of a contractor in Negros Oriental, condemning the act of violence and emphasizing the need to uncover its root cause.
“Tama lang po na imbestigahan iyan para malaman natin ang puno’t dulo nila at kinukondena natin ang mga karahasan na ito – iyan ay ayon sa Pangulo,” said Palace Press Officer and Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro on Friday, Aug. 29.
Castro added that the President directed the police to “take the investigation seriously” to prevent similar incidents, especially amid ongoing probes into anomalous flood-control projects across the country.
The President also stressed the importance of filing charges against those responsible for the attack.
“Alam naman natin kung ano ang nais ng Pangulo – makasuhan ang dapat makasuhan, mapanagot ang dapat na mapanagot,” Castro said.
“At ipag-uutos pa rin ng Pangulo na dapat seryosohin ito lalo na ng mga PNP para maiwasan kung anumang krimen ang maidudulot nito kaugnay sa pag-iimbestiga sa flood control projects,” she added.
The victim, an engineer identified by police as a contractor for construction projects, was shot and wounded on a highway in Santa Catalina town, Negros Oriental province on Wednesday morning, Aug. 27.
According to investigators, the victim was driving a motorcycle on the way to a quarry site when he was shot past 7 a.m.
The assailant fled the scene onboard a motorcycle, the police added.
The shooting incident came amid the investigation on the anomalous flood-control projects in the country which were either incomplete, ghosts, or failed. (Betheena Unite)
