Aparri vice mayor, 5 others killed in Nueva Vizcaya ambush

KILLED ON THE SPOT. The black car that carried Aparri, Cagayan Vice Mayor Rommel Alameda and his companions sits empty on the side of the road with bullet holes on its doors in Bagabag, Nueva Vizcaya on Sunday, Feb. 19, after unidentified gunmen, clad in police informs and using a car with a government plate, shot and killed the group. Photo from PNP-Nueva Vizcaya

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya — The vice mayor of Aparri in Cagayan and five of his companions were shot and killed by unidentified men clad in police uniforms and riding in a government car in Bagabag town in Nueva Vizcaya on Sunday.

Nueva Vizcaya police information officer Major Jolly Villar said in a phone interview that Vice Mayor Rommel Alameda, who is serving his third term as vice mayor, and five of his aides and companions were traveling in a Hyundai Starex van on their way to Aparri when they were waylaid by the gunmen in Sitio (sub-village) Kinacao in Barangay (village) Baretbet at 8:45 a.m.

Investigations revealed that the suspects were wearing police uniforms with masks and were using a white Mitsubishi Adventure with a red license plate number SFN 713, indicating that it was a government car.

The killers allegedly barricaded the section of street in front of MV Duque Elementary School in Baretbet. When Alameda’s car arrived, they peppered the vehicle with bullets.

The vice mayor and his companions died on the spot but were still taken to the Region 2 Trauma and Medical Center where they were declared dead on arrival. The report did not identify the names of the vice mayor’s companions.

The killers later fled going to Solano area.

Investigation is still ongoing as of this writing. INQ