2nd town exec ambushed in a month: 2 gunmen shoot councilor dead

CEBU, Philippines — A municipal councilor of San Fernando, Cebu was killed in an ambush by two unidentified motorcycle-riding gunmen yesterday afternoon in Barangay South Poblacion of the town.

Councilor Alexander Alicaway, 49, resident of Barangay Tinubdan, was declared dead on arrival at the South General Hospital in the City of Naga. He was the second town official killed in Cebu in less than a month.

Ronda vice mayor Jonnah John Ungab was also killed in an ambush on February 19 while in Cebu City to attend the promulgation of judgment of the case against his client, self-confessed drug lord Kerwin Espinosa.

Police Officer 1 Erwin Oyao, case investigator, Alicaway was on his way home from his store in South Publacion when the gunmen shot him in the head at around 5p.m.

Initial investigation revealed that the gunmen, who were wearing bonnets and full-faced helmets, were waiting for the councilor along the alley near the public market.

The councilor was rushed to the hospital but did not make it alive. Police investigators recovered two empty shells and one bullet for caliber .45 pistol at the crime scene.

Investigators are looking at robbery as possible motive because the victim’s necklace and cellphone were missing.

"Wala man ni siyay kaaway. Basin ug tulis gyud ni." Oyao said.

San Fernando Police Station chief Chief Inspector Adrian Nalua dismissed the possibility that the killing was related to illegal drugs.

"Sa among level of monitoring wala siya sa listahan sa narco politicians," Nalua said.

The police are now checking the closed-circuit television from nearby establishments to help them identify the culprits. Investigators are also checking from the family the documents that the councilor wanted to get from his house when he was ambushed.

Slain cop in drug payroll?

Meanwhile, Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO) director Senior Superintendent Edgar Alan Okubo said they are checking reports that the police officer killed in Minglanilla town Tuesday afternoon was on the take from self-confessed drug lord Franz Sabalones.

Okubo confirmed that Police Officer 2 Romeo Santiago Bolaño was included on the counterintelligence watchlist in 2016. He was transferred to Cordillera because of derogatory reports.

“Masasama lahat yan, sa investigation. We will check that information,” Okubo told reporters.

Okubo said that in October 2016, Bolaño was again relieved from Cordillera and was reassigned to the Personnel Holding and Accounting Unit (PHAU) in Camp Crame. He has a pending case before the Internal Affairs Service.

“Maybe he had internal problems with drug lords before, and if he had other enemies we will check,” Okubo said.

He said that investigators are also looking into the reason why Bolaño was Cebu when he should have been in Camp Crame.

Bolaño, 49, resident of Barangay Lawaan 1, Talisay City, was ambushed by unidentified gunmen in Barangay Lipata, Minglanilla last Tuesday. He was with another police officer, SPO2 Maricor Aliganga.

Okubo yesterday ordered the relief of Aliganga from Naga City Police Station over suspicions that she was also involved in illegal activities. She was ordered to report to the provincial holding unit.

Chief Inspector Roderick Gonzales, City of Naga Police chief, also confirmed that Bolaño was on the high-value target list of suspected drug personalities in the province. (FREEMAN)