2 more killed in Ecija violence

CAMP OLIVAS, Pampanga ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å“ Two more incidents of election-related violence were reported yesterday in Nueva Ecija, bringing the death toll in the province to 19 and the national total to almost 100 since the start of the campaign period.

In his report, Senior Supt. Alfredo Caballes, officer-in-charge of the Nueva Ecija police, said armed men on a motorcycle shot and killed Alex Mempin, 45, a councilor of Barangay Malapit, San Isidro town, Tuesday night.

Caballes said Mempin was riding a Honda motorcycle with plate number IS 5992 en route to Gapan City, but when he reached Barangay Poblacion in San Isidro town he was shot several times by two gunmen riding a motorcycle without a license plate.

The victim sustained gunshot wounds to his face and different parts of his body and died on the spot. Police recovered five spent .45 caliber shells at the scene of the ambush.

The suspects fled towards Cabiao town and are now the subject of a manhunt by the San Isidro police, the report said.

Also on Tuesday, at 10:20 p.m, unidentified armed men shot to death the driver of a mayoralty candidate in Quezon, Nueva Ecija.

Caballes identified the victim as Nestor Macabio, who was also reportedly a political leader of one of Quezon town’s mayoralty candidates.

Macabio was at the Poultry Farm in Barangay Dulong Bayan, Quezon town, when he was waylaid by the suspects.

Police records showed that since the start of the campaign period in Nueva Ecija, at least 19 persons have been killed and 17 wounded in separate shooting incidents in the province.

Following this series of shootings, Nueva Ecija was put under the control of the Commission on Elections by Commissioner Benjamin Abalos Sr.

The Comelec also reshuffled 27 police chiefs in the province. 

In Naguillian, La Union, re-electionist town councilor Isagani Rimando sustained a gunshot wound in his left leg after engaging in a gunfight with the driver of Mayor Reynaldo Flores on Tuesday afternoon in Barangay Gusing Norte.

Rimando, son of mayoralty candidate Franco Rimando, exchanged fire with Flores’ driver, Ernesto Nucasa, at 5:00 p.m.

Initial investigation showed that a firefight ensued when Rimando suddenly blocked Nucasa’s path while the latter was driving Flores’ Pajero, with plate number RJF 555 and fired his gun. The bullet from Rimando’s gun hit a motorcycle in front of the Pajero.

Nucasa and his vehicle’s occupants alighted and shot at Rimando, wounding Randy Nodo and barangay councilor Baltazar Garcia. Nodo sustained injuries on his right foot while Garcia was hit in the right eye.

Naguillian police chief Inspector Joel Garcia told The STAR that they recovered several empty shells from an M16 and a caliber .45 pistol at the crime scene.

Garcia said they are still investigating the case and that additional troops from the Regional Mobile Group were deployed to maintain peace and order in the area.

Ilocos police director Chief Superintendent Leopoldo Bataoil and La Union police director Sr. Supt. Franklin Bucayu inspected the crime scene on Wednesday morning and visited the victims at the Lorma Medical Center before holding a dialogue with Rimando and Nucasa.

The Rimandos are running under the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrat (Lakas-CMD) banner while Flores is a candidate of the Kabalikat ng Mamamayang Pilipino (Kampi).  

Meanwhile, a congressional bet in neighboring Isabela province and his convoy escaped a reported ambush attempt by a group of armed men, some of whom were later arrested on illegal possession of firearms charges, according to sketchy reports that reached the police regional office in Tuguegarao City, Cagayan.

Attempts to contact re-electionist Rep. Anthony Miranda (Kampi, 4th district, Isabela), who was linked to the arrested ambush attempt suspects, proved futile, as Miranda has not responded to text messages or voice calls since the other day, when news of the reported ambush attempt on his rival, former Rep. Giorgidi Aggabao of the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) and of the suspects’ arrest broke.

In reports to Camp Adduru, the regional police office based in Tuguegarao City reported the arrest of the five persons bearing firearms after the suspects tried to ambush Aggabao’s convoy in Barangay Nabuan, Santiago City.

However, Cagayan Valley police director Chief Superintendent Ameto Tolentino could not confirm the circumstances leading to the arrest of the men who were allegedly Miranda’s aides, or whether there indeed was an ambush.

"The only information that had reached this office was the arrest of five men for illegal gun possession somewhere in Santiago City, which is a separate city police division," Tolentino said.

Attempts by The STAR to contact both Miranda and Aggabao, as well as Santiago city police chief Senior Superintendent Wilhelm Barlis, proved futile.

According to reports, Aggabao’s convoy was accosted by at least 10 armed civilians believed to be Miranda’s aides somewhere in Barangay Nabuan in Santiago City at noon the other day.

Aggabao earlier said they were being tracked by 10 motorcycle-riding men and people in three other vehicles , including a white Mitsubishi Strada and a Mitsubishi L300 van.

Aggabao’s younger brother, Navel, said he saw unidentified armed men in civilian clothes posted around their farmhouse, prompting them to decide to return to their house at Centro in Santiago City. While they were on the way home, Aggabao’s convoy was allegedly blocked by around a dozen men and three vehicles.

Reports indicate that Aggabao’s group "managed to escape death" because of the timely arrival of police personnel. All the alleged aides of the congressman had long firearms in their possession, and five of them were later arrested. – with Jun Elias, Artemio Dumlao, Charlie Lagasca