Cagayan mayor's daughter killed in ambush

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya , Philippines  – A university dean and daughter of a re-electionist town mayor in Cagayan province was killed in an ambush while on her way to her family’s ancestral home Tuesday night.

Authorities identified the victim as Dr. Rosefina Abad-Serrano, 43, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences of the Cagayan State University and the eldest of the four children of Gonzaga town Mayor Rosendo Abad, who is seeking a second term.

Reports said the victim was en route to Gonzaga town from Tuguegarao City, the provincial capital, when the passenger van she was riding was fired upon along the national highway in Barangay Dalaya, Buguey town.

Gonzaga and Buguey towns are both located in Cagayan’s northeastern coastal area. The latter has been declared an area of election concern due to its history of election-related violence.

Police said three other passengers of the van sustained gunshot wounds. The driver of a Starex van which happened to be trailing Serrano’s vehicle was hit by a stray bullet.

Besides politics, authorities were also eyeing robbery, personal grudge or a case of mistaken identity in the ambuscade.

“We cannot recall of any confirmed death threats against (Rosefina)… but we have been receiving death threats against the mayor,” said lawyer Windell Urdas, the victim’s cousin.

Serrano was reportedly the one managing the re-election campaign of her father, who is identified with former Cagayan governor Edgar Lara.

Abad is running under the Nationalist People’s Coalition against incumbent Vice Mayor Epifanio Gaspar, himself a former mayor, of the Liberal Party, and Carlito Pentecostes of the Lakas-Kampi-CMD, to which re-electionist Gov. Alvaro Antonio belongs.