Senior Supt. Agrimero Cruz Jr., spokesman of the Philippine National Police (PNP), said Licab, Nueva Ecija Vice Mayor Luisito Caraang died in a nearby hospital after sustaining at least two bullet wounds.
Caraang was reportedly jogging at the vicinity of Barangay San Casimiro at around 5 a.m. when motorcycle-riding gunmen shot him from behind.
Cruz said investigation is still being conducted to determine the motive and identify the perpetrators.
Senior Insp. Danilo Eduardo, Licab town’s chief of police, said they are looking at several angles in their investigation of the killing.
It was reported that the vice mayor had not mentioned receiving any death threat before he was gunned down.
Upon learning of the incident, Nueva Ecija provincial police director Senior Supt. Roberto Aliggayu ordered a police hot pursuit operation against the escaping suspects.
The lawmen also established checkpoints in the possible escape routes of the gunmen.
To hasten the investigation of the incident, Aliggayu organized a Special Investigation Task Group (SITG) “Caraang,” which composed of different police units in the province.
Caraang was the latest victim of assassinations in the country in the past days.
Last week, an election officer of Tuburan, Basilan was gunned down followed by a barangay captain in Sultan Kudarat.
On Monday, a judge was shot dead in Ilocos Sur while a municipal treasurer was killed in Ilocos Norte on the same day.
Another election officer was wounded along with two other companions when they were ambushed in Lanao del Norte.
The spate of killings prompted the PNP leadership to intensify the campaign against loose firearms, which are the ones used in killings, through the checkpoints being conducted over the implementation of the nationwide gun ban for the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections on Oct. 25.
Source: Manila Bulletin
By Aaron Recuenco, Freddie G. Lazaro
October 9, 2010, 9:03pm
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