Manila – Malacañang has expressed its outrage on the murder of former Batangas 2nd District Rep. Edgar Mendoza and his two aides in Tiaong town, Quezon on Thursday.
Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo described the killing as an “outrageous act of barbarism,” wherein Mendoza and his aides were murdered before their bodies were burned inside a car in Barangay San Francisco.
“We are outraged upon learning of the dastardly murder of former Batangas 2nd District Rep. Edgar Mendoza,” Panelo said. “The perpetrators of this heinous crime will be pursued till they are placed behind bars.”
“We assure the bereaved family of the deceased that justice will be accorded by prosecuting the people behind this dastardly crime to the fullest extent of the law,” he added.
“We express our deep condolences to the family, loved ones, colleagues, and constituents of the late former congressman Edgar Mendoza,” Panelo said.
Tiaong police chief Major Lawrence Panganiban said they received a call around 1:45 a.m. that a car had been burned on a bridge in the locality.
After retrieving the remains of the two individuals, Panganiban said they learned the possible identity of one of the victims through an identification card found inside the car. A deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) test will be conducted to fully identify the victims.
Meanwhile, Department of Justice secretary Menardo Guevarra said the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) will conduct a separate inquiry into the incident.
“I will now order the NBI to assist the police in investigating and finding the perpetrators of this horrible crime. The NBI’s forensic experts will be of great help in identifying the victims,” added Guevarra./PN
