Help us, family of slain brothers asked DOJ

SAN RAFAEL, Bulacan—Fearing for their lives, relatives of two brothers here slain six months apart called on Justice Secretary Leila De Lima’s help due to threats of a son of a local politician who vowed to eliminate them.

They specifically asked that warrant of arrest (WOA) be immediate issued against three security aides of a local politicians suspected in killing SPO4 Norberto Ignacio on April 15, and his younger brother Renato who was killed last October 20.

Renato was laid to rest on Saturday at Sto. Cristo Catholic Cemetery in the nearby town of Baliwag.

“Sana po tulungan ninyo kami, na mabigyan ng hustisya at magkaroon ng patas na laban kasi makapangyarihan sila at kami ay mahirap lang,” said Beth Ignacio, the younger sister of the victims.

She said that suspects in the killing of her two brothers are the same and added that the killing stemmed from argument between Norberto and son of a politician at a cockpit arena months before he was killed.

She did not name the politician but noted that he and his son are rich and wields so much power.

This was affirmed by Edman De Guzman, the victim’s niece who narrated that a the politician’s son lost in the cockpit arena in Baliwag town and beat up the man who won the money.

The man asked help from Nortberto who was then serving as a police officer.

The politicians son asked Norberto for the man with an alleged plan to kill.

But Norberto refused and told the politician’s son that it is wrong.

“Doon na nagbanta yung anak na pulitiko na uubusin ang pamilya namin,” De Guzman said noting that months later, Norberto was killed.

On October 20, Renato, the younger brother of Norberto was shot behind his head while he was about to have dinner with his wife Josephine.

Josephine was also shot by the assailant in the chest but miraculously survived as the bullet fire from caliber .45 hit her wedding ring and the bullet strayed to lower part of her body damaging her internal organs.

She is now in critical but stable condition at the Bulacan Medical Center in Malolos City and was not able to attend to the burial of her husband on Saturday afternoon.

During the burial, grieving relatives demanded justice for the killing of Norberto and Renato.

In an interview before the burial, De Guzman said that the killing of his uncles were both planned.

He said that both were shot behind their heads noting that Norberto was about to leave the Baliwag cockpit arena on April 15 when a suspect approach him and talked to him, while another came from behind and fired at his head.

In the case of Renato, he was about the have dinner when the suspect barged from a door behind him and killed him.

De Guzman also showed the grassy portion in a vacant lot behind Renato’s house where the suspect stayed and waited before killing him.