4 Vigan ambush victims laid to rest

VIGAN CITY — Yesterday’s funeral here of four victims of the March 31 slay attempt on radioman and former provincial board member Efren Rafanan, turned into a protest march against politically related violence in the province.

Laid to rest at the Ayusan Sur public cemetery here were Rafanan’s wife Evelyn, 49; son Raffy Brian, 15; brother Dennis and security aide Elgin de Ocampo.

Rafanan himself and 24-year-old daughter Renalyn were wounded in the ambush. The Rafanan family had just come from Manila where they fetched Evelyn, who had taken time off from her work in Madrid, Spain, and was about to drop off Rafanan at radio station dzXE when the ambush happened.

"They are my heroes," Rafanan said during the interment rites. Renelyn, for her part, said she could not understand why this was done to their family, adding that her father was only "helping other people."

In a speech read by his former adviser on political affairs Lito Banayo, former President Estrada said justice has become a "selective commodity" that favors people close to the Arroyo administration.

In his first public appearance after the ambush, Rafanan called for a leadership change in the province which, he said, has been under a "reign of greed and tyranny for 31 years."

Referring to former Gov. Luis "Chavit" Singson, Rafanan said, "I’m sorry Mr. Singson, my loyalty to you must end." The two used to be political allies but parted ways when Rafanan ran for governor in 2001.

The Rafanan camp has accused Singson of allegedly having a hand in the ambush. Singson has strongly denied this.

In a statement, Singson called on politicians "not to take advantage of the sad situation by issuing incendiary statements that will only muddle the investigation and prevent an early solution of the case."

He expressed his condolences to the Rafanans, and also a "sincere wish that those behind this terrible crime will be brought to justice without delay."

"I welcome a thorough investigation (into) the ambush, not only to clear my name that has been dragged into the case by my detractors, but also to do justice to the innocent victims of this violence," he said.