CONTENT WARNING: This story mentions murder.

PRIOR TO the Ateneo Law School’s (ALS) graduation ceremony at the Areté on July 24, a shooting incident—which appears to be a politically-motivated assassination against one of the attendees, former Mayor of Lamitan, Basilan, Rosita Furigay—occurred near the Areté’s entrance at around 2:55 PM.

Quezon City Police Department (QCPD) Chief Remus Medina later identified those killed in the attack as former Lamitan Mayor Rosita Furigay, her long-time aide Victor Capistrano, and Megaforce campus guard Jeneven Bandiala. Furthermore, Medina said that the two people injured during the shooting incident were bystander Julia Paco, 55, and former mayor’s daughter Hanna Rose Furigay.

In a press briefing, Medina identified the suspect in the assassination as Chao Tiao Yumol, a registered physician in Lamitan who had a personal feud with Furigay. The former mayor’s legal counsel, Attorney Quirino Esguerra, said Yumol had accused Furigay of being involved in illegal drugs in Basilan, which motivated the assassination.

In light of the incident, the 2022 Commencement Exercises of the ALS was canceled, and the University campus was officially placed in lockdown on July 24 at around 3:09 PM.

Record of events

According to Loyola Heights Barangay Captain Darwin Hayes, witnesses in the area heard gunshots at around 2:30 PM and reported them to the police. Hayes added that witnesses first called the barangay since the nearest police station’s landlines were not working. The police then arrived on campus 10 to 15 minutes after the reports.

He mentioned that Rosita Furigay, Hanna Furigay, Bandiala, and Capistrano were shot on campus, while Paco was passing by East Avenue when the gunman fled the scene and she was injured.

Having been involved in the pursuit of Yumol, Hayes recalled that Yumol ran along Katipunan Avenue before cutting into B. Gonzales Street. After which, Hayes and the mobilization team saw on CCTV footage that Yumol was changing into a Grab Delivery-partner uniform in a convenience store along B. Gonzales Street.

Following this, Hayes said that Yumol was then next spotted on CCTV footage trying to ride a tricycle. The tricycle operator subsequently identified the suspect and alerted Hayes’ team. After his unsuccessful attempt to commandeer the tricycle, Yumol trespassed into the Varsity Hills Subdivision by climbing its walls. According to Hayes, Yumol then commandeered a getaway car that he used to ram and destroy the subdivision gates as he fled.

Hayes stated that Yumol was soon caught in Barangay Quirino 3-A after attempting to blend in with the passengers on a minibus. Afterwards, the suspect was placed into police custody in Camp Karingal—no longer under the geographical jurisdiction of the Loyola Heights barangay officials.

Hayes believed that the attack was carried out during the graduation because Furigay was particularly vulnerable there. “Nandito lang sa Maynila ‘yan kasi graduation ng anak, pero doon sa Basilan hindi ma-target nga ‘yan kasi maraming bodyguards,” he said.

(The [suspect] was here in Manila because of [Furigay’s] daughter’s graduation. Back in Basilan, [Furigay] wouldn’t be targeted because of the tighter security.)

Hayes also raised questions on how the gunman was able to enter campus. In particular, Hayes suspects that information about campus security was relayed to Yumol as there was an alleged directive that graduation guests would be allowed inside the campus without inspection.

The GUIDON has reached out to the University administration regarding the matter, but they have refused to provide a comment in the meantime. Instead, they ask The GUIDON and the general public to refer to the University’s official statement for more information on the matter.

Improving security measures

In response to the shooting incident, Furigay’s camp released a statement where they declared that Yumol’s allegations of the former mayor’s corruption are “pure lies.”

“‘Yung mga allegations, mga accusations na sinasabi ng gunman ay walang katotohanan. Lahat ‘yan ay purong kasinungalingan,” Atty. Esguerra said in an interview with ABS CBN’s TeleRadyo.

(Those allegations, accusations said by the gunman are nothing but lies. All of those are purely lies.)

After the shooting incident, the University released a statement extending its condolences to the shooting incident victims’ families and thanking the authorities for their investigation of the incident.

The University added, “The Loyola Heights campus was immediately secured. The University assures the community that its campuses are safe, and security protocols are now being reviewed and strengthened further.”

Similarly, Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte strongly condemned the attack in the Ateneo and expressed her condolences to the bereaved. “This kind of incident has no place in our society and must be condemned to the highest level,” Belmonte said in her statement.

The QCPD and the QC Local Government also expressed their condolences for the incident and relayed that investigations are currently ongoing.

At the same time, the Loyola Schools Campus Ministry, the Sanggunian, and the Council of Organizations of the Ateneo – Manila will hold a 9-day Novena Mass from July 26 to 29 and August 1 to 5 at the College Chapel.

In order to extend help to Bandiala’s family, the University stated that financial assistance is being given to his loved ones. They opened a scan-to-pay donation channel for those who wish to extend financial assistance. The Ateneo Law School Batch 2022 also organized a similar donation drive in a recent post.

*Editor’s Note: This is a developing story, more updates will follow regarding the investigation.

With reports by Enzo Bello and Zoey C. Atillo.