PNP probes series of attacks vs. Customs employees

MANILA – The Philippine National Police (PNP) is analyzing cases to establish possible leads in the series of attacks targeting Bureau of Custom (BOC) employees.

“It is unlikely that this is an isolated case since the first two incidents happened last December. Then, the next one was last January. Now, another BOC employee was shot dead. I am instructing our investigators to get all the necessary pieces of evidence,” PNP chief, Gen. Dionardo Carlos, said in a statement Sunday night.

The latest of these attacks is the shooting of BOC information technology (IT) operator Gil Manlapaz in front of his house in Sta. Ana, Manila on the evening of February 11.

Witnesses said the victim was approaching his vehicle when a man clad in a black jacket and white helmet shot him and fled.

The attack happened just two days after a grenade attack in front of the house of Customs Deputy Commissioner Teddy Raval in Barangay Roxas District, Quezon City on February 9.

Police records showed that there had been four attacks against BOC employees from December 2021 to January this year.

The PNP got hold of a closed circuit television (CCTV) camera footage that shows how Manlapaz was being stalked by the suspect just minutes before the incident.

“This will be helpful since we also have CCTV records of the previous crime incidents. Now, we want to find out if there are similarities on how these injustices were executed,” Carlos said.