Mayor, vice mayor of N. Ecija shot dead in cockpit ambush

The incoming mayor and vice mayor of Lupao town in Nueva Ecija province were shot dead in an ambush staged by at least five gunmen at a cockpit in San Jose City before midnight Friday. Police are still looking into whether politics was involved in the killing of mayor-elect Alfredo Vendivil and his cousin, vice mayor-elect Virgilio Vendivil. “Walang assigned na police sa kanya. Itong mayor hindi mahilig magdala ng security at mayor-elect ito. Ito ay taong masa, nakatsinelas lang, bubugoy-bugoy," Sr. Supt. Alfredo Caballes, Nueva Ecija provincial director, said in an interview on dzRH radio Saturday morning. (He had no security with him. This is a mayor who shuns security because he identifies himself with the masses. He even goes around wearing slippers.) He said the mayor-elect is popular with the masses and adopted a low profile. He said the mayor-elect appeared “confident na wala siyang kalaban (that he has no enemies)." Caballes said the mayor-elect could have still had a security detail because he is an incumbent board member in the town, but he was alone that fateful Friday night. At least seven other persons were wounded in the incident, as the shooting sent participants at the cockpit derby scampering for safety. Investigators claimed they have “credible witnesses" who can describe the suspects, but admitted many witnesses are still afraid to come out. “Ongoing ang derby, break nila. Naglalabasan ang tao, siguro magmemeryenda. Doon nagkaroon ng barilan, doon nagkagulo," SPO2 Frolian Tolentino of the San Jose City police said in an interview on dzBB radio. (There was a break in the derby and people were going out to eat. Suddenly shots rang out and people panicked.) Tolentino said the mayor-elect sustained several gunshot wounds in the head based on the huge amount of blood he lost, but could not give more details. Caballes the incident took place at the San Jose Cockpit Arena at about 11:30 p.m. Friday. He said suspects tailed the cousins as they were going out of the cockpit. Stray bullets hit at least seven other persons. Citing initial information reaching him, he said the suspects “casually" walked out of the arena after the shooting. An earlier dzRH report indicated three of the suspects fired at the victims while the others acted as lookouts. “Napakabait ng asawa, walang kalaban, walang banta sa kanila previously (Alfredo’s wife said he had no enemies and he had received no threats). The wife did not expect this to happen," Caballes said. Caballes said police recovered 17 shells of 9-mm and .45-caliber pistols from the scene. He said witnesses are afraid to come out and testify. “We are exerting efforts. We have credible witnesses who could describe the suspects," he said, but did not elaborate. Caballes also said he has created a task force to handle the case. The task force includes San Jose police and members of the local Criminal Investigation and Detection Group. - GMANews.TV