THE Quezon City Police District (QCPD) yesterday said it has a solid case against the doctor who shot and killed former Lamitan City, Basilan mayor Rosita “Rose” Furigay and two others inside the Ateneo de Manila University campus in Quezon City last Sunday afternoon.
QCPD Director Brig. Gen. Remus Medina said the suspect, Dr. Chao Tiao Yumol, admitted shooting the victims.
“We have a strong case because we have witnesses, we recovered the firearm used, and he himself did not deny involvement in the incident,” Medina said.
“Once we file the cases against him, I will consider this as solved,” Medina said, adding they intend to file cases against Yumol later yesterday or today.
Furigay was shot while she was about to attend the graduation of her daughter, Hannait, who took up law at the university. Hannait was injured in the attack.
Also killed were Furigay’s long-time executive assistant, Victor Capistrano, and Ateneo security guard Jeneven Bandiala.
The graduation was postponed due to the attack.
Yumol, shot and injured by responding security guards, fled but was later arrested at the corner of Katipunan Ave. and Aurora Blvd. Seized from him were two handguns, including a cal. 45 pistol with a silencer used in the shooting.
Medina said Yumol had a personal grudge against Furigay, who had filed dozens of cyber libel cases against him.
“According to him, he was determined to take revenge because he was charged with many cyber libel cases (by Furigay) and he can’t do his job as a doctor due to distractions caused by cases filed against him,” said Medina. “He gave his statement and he is very cooperative and very vocal about what happened.”
Medina said the incident was not a case of active shooting or indiscriminate shooting.
“After committing the crime, he went on flight mode. He escaped immediately. He tried to find a way to escape,” said Medina.
“This is an isolated case; this is not an active shooting. He had the capability to shoot anyone who was not his target. But after killing Furigay, he was on flight mode and he didn’t fight back when he was arrested,” Medina added.
Lawyer Quirino Esguerra, counsel and spokesman for the Furigay family, said the rift between Furigay and Yumol started in 2018 when Yumol opened an infirmary clinic across the city hall of Lamitan City.
“The problem is the infirmary clinic lacked permit from the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARRM),” said Esguerra.
Esguerra said the ministry of health of BARRM issued a cease-and-desist order against Yumol, adding the local government of Lamitan City was tasked to enforce the order.
“This irked Dr. Yumol and (he) made malicious posts (on social media) against the mayor (Furigay), then vice mayor (and) now mayor Roderick Furigay and officials of the city hall,” said Esguerra.
Furigay, who served as mayor for three consecutive terms, relinquished the mayoral post to her husband, Roderick, last month after the latter won in the May elections.
Among the allegations leveled by Yumol against Furigay were corruption and alleged involvement in illegal drugs.
Esguerra said Yumol’s posts prompted the Furigay family and city hall employees to file some 70 cyber liber cases against Yumol. Esguerra said Yumol failed to post bail in seven cases, leading to the issuance of arrest warrants against him in January 2021.
Esguerra added that Yumol had eight warrants of arrest for contempt of court issued last year after maligning the judge hearing the cases, his family, and the clerk of court. He said Yumol was sentenced to two years of imprisonment and fined P20,000.
“The accused, the gunman, was a fugitive, he was in hiding since January 2021…We’re surprised he was not arrested (prior to last Sunday’s incident), he has eight warrants of arrest — seven for cyber libel and one for indirect contempt,” he said.
Esguerra said Yumol’s allegations against Furigay and her husband have no basis.
“There is no truth to the allegations, the accusations of the gunman, Dr. Chao Tiao Yumol.
All of these are lies…He did not present any evidence…Those are product(s) of his imagination,” said Esguerra.
Esguerra said Furigay’s husband was “really devastated” by the death of his wife.
“The family is saddened by this heinous crime that occurred inside the compound of the Ateneo de Manila University,” said Esguerra.
“The family went out for lunch (before the incident); they (couple) were very happy that their daughter is graduating with honors from the Ateneo law school. It’s unfortunate that she was mercilessly killed using a cal. 45 pistol with silencer,” he added.
CAMPUS SAFETY PUSHED
Commission on Higher Education chair Prospero De Vera said the shooting at the Ateneo de Manila University showed the need to ensure the safety of campuses nationwide, adding he was “deeply saddened” by the death of Furigay and two others.
“I personally know former Lamitan City Mayor Rosita Furigay, who is among the three victims, and Mayor Oric Furigay, and they have received me with open arms during my visits to Lamitan City,” De Vera said. “In addition to the tragic loss of lives, such events lead to post-traumatic distress among victims and to those who have witnessed these.”
While saying he has full trust in the country’s law enforcement authorities and the justice system to bring justice to the victim’s families, he said the incident highlighted the need to ensure the security of campuses.
“This incident also highlights the importance of keeping our campuses safe and secure as places of learning, inclusivity, and peace,” De Vera said.
It was not the first time that violence reared its ugly head inside a school campus in the country.
In November 2019, a police officer was killed while another cop and 10 others were injured in a grenade explosion inside the Initao College in Initao, Misamis Oriental.
The slain officer and his colleagues were responding to a report about a man causing trouble in the school. During the confrontation, the suspect threw a grenade, prompting the slain officer to shield the others from the explosion. — With Ashzel Hachero and Gerard Naval
ATTACK CONDEMNED
The Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP) condemned the deadly shooting incident at the Ateneo De Manila University campus.
In a statement, CEAP President Sr. Ma. Marissa Viri said they denounce the “act of violence” that claimed the lives of three people, including former Lamitan City Mayor Rose Furigay.
“The nation was shocked by the terrible act of violence committed during the commencement exercises of the Ateneo de Manila School of Law,” said Viri.
“The Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines vehemently condemns the reported shooting incident,” she added.
“The Association expresses its profound sympathy and solace to the victims, the bereaved, and those who were physically and emotionally injured by this unfortunate and unnecessary event,” she said. “We call on our brothers and sisters in the CEAP community to offer our prayers to the victims and their families,” said Viri.
