CITY OF SAN JOSE DEL MONTE, Bulacan — Mayor Arthur Robes announced Tuesday a PHP250,000 cash reward for any information leading to the arrest of five unidentified men who shot dead a city official in front of her house here Monday night.
City police chief, Supt. Fitz Macariola, identified the victim as Orpha M. Velasquez II, 44, married, and the assistant city administrator, chairperson of the Bids and of Awards Committee (BAC), and officer-in-charge of the Public Employment Service Office.
In his report to Provincial Director of the Bulacan Police, Senior Supt. Romeo Caramat Jr., Macariola said the shooting incident occurred in front of her house along Sto. Domingo St., Barangay Fatima at about 7:20 p.m. The victim went out of their house and was at the gate when five armed men riding a white Adventure vehicle and a black and red motorcycle, both with unknown plate number, appeared and shot her several times.
The victim sustained four gunshot wounds to the head and body, causing her instant death while the suspects fled towards unknown directions.
Robes offered the reward for the immediate arrest of the assailants.
Macariola said they were conducting a thorough investigation of the incident, which might be related to the victim’s job, particularly as chairperson of the board of the city’s bids and awards committee.
Velasquez had been receiving death threats since last year, prompting the city government of San Jose del Monte to provide her with security details.
It can be recalled that in December 2015, a former city engineer here survived an ambush by two motorcycle-riding gunmen in a remote village in Barangay Bulac, Sta. Maria, Bulacan.
Rufino Gravador, Jr. of Dulong Bayan, Barangay Poblacion in Sta. Maria was on board his blue Montero sports utility vehicle when two suspects on a motorcycle blocked his way and shot his vehicle several times.
Gravador reportedly testified in the plunder case filed against former mayor Reynaldo San Pedro and 29 other city officials over the alleged overpriced construction of the PHP300-million San Jose del Monte City Government Center. (Manny Balbin/PNA)
