2 Ecija police officials face relief

CABANATUAN CITY , Philippines  – Two police station commanders in Nueva Ecija are facing relief over alleged police lapses following the murder Thursday of the cousin of a municipal mayor.

Senior Superintendent Ricardo Marquez, provincial police director, said they are considering to relieve Chief Inspector Samuel Avila and Senior Inspector Aniano Madrid, police chiefs of Quezon and Licab, respectively, who were placed on the spotlight following the killing in broad daylight of former Licab councilor, Dr. Alejandro Domingo-De Leon.

“We are thinking of having them relieved,” Marquez said, amid reports police arrived at the murder site a few hours late.

De Leon, 77, a cousin of Licab Mayor Wilfredo Domingo was gunned down by heavily armed men who fired at him while he was aboard an owner-type jeep with driver Segundo Domingo at Sitio Osmeña, Barangay Dulong Bayan, Quezon.

The victim, a retired dentist, died from two bullet wounds in the head from a .45 caliber pistol.

Marquez said that the motive for the attack remained unclear.

Earlier, Domingo claimed politics was the motive behind the killing. He said he was actually the target of the attack.

Marquez said that at this point, they can only speculate on the motive behind the attack.

Law-abiding citizen

Domingo, who is running for reelection under the Bagong Lakas ng Nueva Ecija of the Josons, said that his cousin has no known enemies. He dismissed the killing as senseless and the attack treacherous.

“Imagine he’s a doctor, a senior citizen, a member of the Knights of Columbus and a law-abiding citizen yet he was not spared. What kind of personality and character does the brains behind this dastardly killing have?,” he said.

He said that there are sightings of heavily armed men roaming around Licab over the last few days. “These goons are organized and they are not from Licab. They are clearly guns-for-hire,” he said.

He said he would ask the PNP to include Licab in the list of so-called election watch list areas so voters can elect their leaders freely and honestly.   

Domingo recalled that two of his political allies – both barangay chairmen – were also murdered in 2007.   

Chief Superintendent Leon Nilo de la Cruz, Region 3 police director, said he has created a task force to investigate the incident. He said he is in favor of including Licab in the list of EWAS to prevent election-related violence.