Wife of assassinated Trece Martires vice mayor set for 2019 mayoral run

The widow of Trece Martires vice mayor Alex Lubigan will be running for the position of mayor in the 2019 elections even as she continues to seek justice for her husband’s murder.

Gemma Lubigan made the disclosure on Thursday at the same press conference where Philippine National Police Chief Oscar Albayalde and other officials who announced that murder and frustrated murder charges have been filed against 10 suspects in connection with the killing of her husband and her husband’s driver, Romulo Gillemer.

“Yes, itutuloy po natin ang adhikain ni Vice Mayor,” Lubigan said when asked if she would be running in the 2019 polls.

Her husband was on his third and last term as vice mayor when he was gunned down in July.

His death came on the heels of three other attacks on local officials that week: Tanauan, Batangas Mayor Antonio Halili and Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Assemblyman Sidik Amiril in separate attacks on July 2; and General Tinio, Nueva Ecija mayor Ferdinand Bote on July 3. Halili and Bote died, while Amiril survived.

Lubigan also said that she is likely to square off against the wife of incumbent Mayor Melandres De Sagun.

Lubigan accused Mayor de Sagun of masterminding her husband’s death—a theory backed by the the police, citing an account from a witness who supposedly formerly worked with the Mayor’s people.

"Parehas po sila na last term," she said of her husband and De Sagun. "Ang alam ko po, ang papalit sa kanya ay kanyang asawa o kanyang ama."

Lubigan said that her electoral bid will not dampen her bid to pursue justice for her husband.

“The filing of charges is one step forward towards attaining justice for Vice Mayor Lubigan and Manong Mulong [her husband’s driver]. Itong sakit, galit, gagamitin ko pong lakas para maging matatag. ‘Di po kami susuko para para paghahanap ng hustisya para sa kanilang dalawa,” she said.

“Kung ano man ang hustisya ang makukuha natin, hustisya na rin ito para sa mga ginawan nila ng kasamaan at mga hindi nila nabigyan ng magandang serbisyo sa mga tao ng Trece,” Lubigan added. — BM, GMA News