Tiangco wants traffic enforcer’s killers caught

MANILA, Philippines — Mayor Toby Tiangco called on police to catch the killers of one of Navotas’ traffic enforcers.

“I condemn in the strongest possible terms the murder of Oliver Ignacio, one of the city’s traffic enforcers. I urge our law enforcement officers to capture the perpetrators soon. This senseless disregard for human life should be meted out with the punishment it deserves,” Tiangco posted on his Facebook account on Friday night.

Ignacio, 37, and a friend were standing in front of the city’s impounding area along C-4 Road when his cell phone rang around 4:45 p.m. on Thursday.

As soon as he tried to answer the call, armed men in a black sport utility vehicle and two motorcycles arrived and dragged him into the SUV.

One of the armed men told bystanders that Ignacio had an outstanding arrest warrant before the group fled towards Manila.

Message sent?

Shortly before midnight, a tricycle driver found Ignacio’s head in a polystyrene ice box along Florentino Torres street in Sta. Cruz, Manila. The victim’s body has yet to be recovered.

Police said the head was left where EMSgt. Roel Candido was ambushed two weeks ago.

Candido was driving behind jeweler Katherine King’s vehicle when he was attacked, according to the Manila Police District (MPD).

Closed-circuit television footage showed that the intention of the attackers – two of whom wore military-style fatigues – was to rob King but shot at Candido “probably because they realized that the victim was a police officer,” according to probers.

A relative of Ignacio arrived at the MPD’s homicide investigation section on Friday afternoon and told probers the victim, whom she said was a businessman and Navy reservist, was carrying P100,000 when he was kidnapped.

MPD homicide chief Capt. Henry Navarro said investigators have many unanswered questions.

“Why was he abducted? If it’s robbery then why do the perpetrators have to kill him? And if there was really a desire on the part of the abductors to kill him, why do they have to cut off his head? Obviously, the perpetrators were so mad. Finally, why do they have to dump the head in the area and not elsewhere? Are they trying to send a message?” Navarro said.