BY ASHZEL HACHERO and VICTOR REYES
UNIDENTIFIED persons fired at a vehicle owned by Bureau of Corrections Director General Gregorio Catapang Jr. yesterday in Manila.
Catapang was not inside the Toyota Hilux that he lent to lawyer Al Perreras, BuCor’s deputy director general for administration who was also not in the vehicle.
Perreras, who retired from the Armed Forces in 2016 as AFP judge advocate general, said he was the target of the attack.
He said the assailants may have thought he was aboard the vehicle and was on his way home, but the vehicle was actually about to fetch him from his residence and bring him to his office.
“Definitely, I was the target. They have no other target but me,” he said.
He said reforms that he and Catapang have been introducing at the bureau could be the reason for the attack.
Perreras said he has an idea as to the specific reform that led to the attack but declined to elaborate, saying he is having the incident investigated thoroughly.
Asked if he was threatened by the attack, Perreras said, “No. I will continue to work.”
He said he is used to threats as has been receiving threats when he was still in the military, especially in the Intelligence Service of the AFP or ISAFP.
“I was targeted while I was in America (US),” he added.
Catapang said he and Perreras have been receiving death threats since they implemented reforms in the agency.
But he added “this incident will not deter us from continuing what we have started.”
Catapang assumed the top BuCor post in October 2022 after his predecessor, Gerald Bantag, was tagged as mastermind in the murder of radio anchor Percival “Percy Lapid” Mabasa and Bilibid inmate Jun Villamor who allegedly acted as the middleman in the contract killing of Lapid.
Catapang did not provide additional details on the attack.
Perreras said the vehicle was attacked in Manila near the Nagtahan exit of the Skyway.
Initial report provided by the BuCor said the bullet-resistant Hilux was travelling with an Innova backup vehicle along the Skyway at around 6:30 a.m. on the way to Quezon City to pick up Perreras when it was attacked.
It said the Hilux was driven by BuCor security escort CO1 Cornelio Colalong and was also carrying security escort CO1 Leonardo Cabaniero while the backup vehicle was driven by BuCor security escort CSO2 Edwin Berroya, and carrying fellow security escort CO2 Michael Magsanoc.
The gunmen aboard a gray Toyota Vios overtook the backup vehicle and fired at the Hilux, shattering the rear windshield. The trajectory of the bullet was towards the passenger front side of the vehicle where Perreras usually sits.
Cabaniero who was seated at the back of the driver was not hit.
The BuCor said the suspect’s car drove away to the Nagtahan exit.
