Laguna youth leader killed, town mayor wounded in ambush

Two people, including a youth leader who is running for councilor in Calauan town in Laguna, was killed while the town's mayor was wounded in an ambush late Saturday afternoon.

The fatality was identified as Emman Peña, a candidate of the United Nationalist Alliance, and a man said to be the driver of Mayor Buenafrido Berris.

Berris was initially taken to an undisclosed local hospital before he was transferred to a hospital in Metro Manila, reports said. His condition remains unknown as well.

Details of the incident remain sketchy as of posting time. A member of the mayor's family said the attack was "politically motivated" without elaborating.

Calauan, a second class municipality in Laguna, gained notoriety in the early 1990s when its mayor Antonio Sanchez was tagged as the mastermind behind the rape-slaying of Eileen Sarmenta and the murder of her boyfriend Allan Gomez in 1993. Sanchez was convicted of the crime.

The town again hogged the headlines last year after resource persons in the Senate blue ribbon committee investigation on the alleged irregularities involving Vice President Jejomar Binay claimed that the relocation site in Calauan where former residents of Manila, Pasig, Marikina, and Makati were resettled has become a den of criminals and prostitutes.

Berris was summoned to the Senate and became emotional as he denied the claims.

Police in Calauan have extensively used social media in promoting peace and order. Pictures showing members of the police force conducting checkpoints and patrols during the Holy Week were uploaded on its Facebook account.

GREAT FUTURE LEADER

Peña — a former Iskolar ng Bayan — graduated cum laude from the University of the Philippines Los Baños in 2011 with a degree in Developmental Communications. He worked as a public school teacher before deciding to go into politics.

The 25-year-old Peña was among the candidates who signed the "peace covenant" where the signatories vowed to make the May elections honest, orderly, peaceful and clean.

The aspiring politician even said on his post that he chose to affix his signature on the part where the acronym SAFE (for Secured and fair election) was written " to make sure that I am on the SAFE side in the May 2016 elections!"

Hours before he was killed, Peña wrote a lengthy Easter message on his Facebook page:

"Sa muling pagkabuhay ni Kristo, sumisilay sa atin ang isang malinaw na mensahe ng PAG-IBIG. Pag-ibig ang dahilan kung bakit tayo nabuhay, naligtas sa kasalanan, at patuloy na nabubuhay. Pag-ibig din ang dahilan kung bakit mas pinipili nating mabuhay, ngumiti sa kabila ng mga unos, at bumangon sa lahat ng pagkadapa. Pag-ibig pa din ang magdadala sa atin sa mas madami pang magagandang kabanata ng ating buhay.

"Dalangin kong sa lahat ng oras at sa lahat ng bagay, pag-ibig pa din ang mamayani sa puso ng bawat isa sa atin. Humugot tayo ng pag-asa sa mensahe ng pag-ibig na dulot ng muling pagkabuhay ni Kristo!"

Netizens in Calauan expressed their shock with Peña's killing.

Emman Peña, a college batchmate who's running for town councilor in Calauan, Laguna, passed away today. He was ambushed and shot dead.

— Isabella Jhocson (@isabellamari) March 27, 2016

Di ko maintindihan. Justice for Emman Pena.

— mia castillo (@hermilea) March 27, 2016

Politics in this country is so filthy it disgusts me. Shame!!! Justice for Emman Peña.

— Lulu PDml (@lewdorp) March 27, 2016

RIP Emman Coronado Pena, ano nangyari? Pag nakakasalubong kita lagi kang nakangiti ???? Ano nangyayari sa calauan? ????????

— imee joy imson (@imeejoyimson2) March 27, 2016

Sir Emman Peña! Di ko alam magiging reaksyon ko noong nakita kita, wala nang buhay! ???? Napakabuti mong ehemplo,... https://t.co/TMgWPKHFqq

— Jhiyen Belen (@HeyJhiyena) March 27, 2016

— APG, GMA News