Ecija village exec abducted days after killing of barangay chief

CABANATUAN CITY — A village councilor of Talavera town, and his farm aide, were abducted on June 20 by armed men, days after the village chief of San Ricardo in the same town was killed in front of his house, a belated police report says.

Eduardo Del Rosario, 61, San Ricardo councilor and the former village chief, was taken at 1:30 p.m. from his farm in the Nueva Ecija town of Pantabangan.

Along with 51-year-old farm caretaker Cayetano Costalles, del Rosario was herded into a brown vehicle by six men, according to Aurora Costalles, the caretaker’s wife. The vehicle sped towards Rizal town.

Investigations have yet to establish whether the kidnapping was related to the June 16 murder of San Ricardo village chairman Arniel Bernardo, who was shot near his home, said Police Col. Kevin Balayungan, deputy provincial director for operations. Armand Galang INQ  (Editor: Leti Z. Boniol)