Laguna LP bet doubts ‘robbery’ angle in uncle’s slay

CAMP PACIANO RIZAL, Laguna—A candidate for vice mayor in San Pablo City believes the killing of his uncle and campaign supporter was “politically motivated,” contrary to a police report saying robbers were behind the attack.

Martin Ilagan, 30, who is running for vice mayor under the Liberal Party, decried the killing of his uncle Joselito Ilagan, 57.

The elder Ilagan, a tricycle driver, was shot dead around 3:45 a.m. Wednesday in Barangay San Francisco, according to a report from San Pablo City police chief Supt. Ericson Dilag.

The victim’s tricycle was later found abandoned in Barangay Lalig in the adjacent town of Tiaong in Quezon.

Martin said they first heard the news about his uncle’s death from the police in Tiaong, who told them that the blood-stained tricycle was recovered.

“We didn’t know he was already dead until 9 a.m. (Wednesday),” Martin said.

Dilag said their investigation showed the assailants of the older Ilagan were two alleged robbers who were killed several hours later supposedly in a shootout with policemen.

Dilag said the San Pablo police set up checkpoints in the city following Ilagan’s death and at around 9 a.m., also on Wednesday, policemen manning the checkpoint in Barangay 1-C flagged down for inspection a passenger tricycle but the two persons on board – later identified as Mario Jose Pineda and Rosano Arceo – drew guns, prompting the police to retaliate.

Dilag, in a telephone interview Thursday, said they found “circumstantial evidence” connecting the two slain men to Joselito Ilagan’s killing.

Pineda and Arceo “were involved in the series of robberies that targeted tricycles,” Dilag added. He said the suspects might have decided to hide Joselito’s tricycle in Tiaong town to be retrieved later.

But Martin said he doubted the police’s story specially since his uncle openly campaigned for him and his running mate for mayor, lawyer Hizon Arago.

Arago is running against Loreto Amante, the son of incumbent San Pablo City Mayor Vicente Amante.

Martin said his uncle was his second supporter gunned down after the killing of village councilor Ronald Akbang earlier this month. Another supporter, Rardine Mercado, survived after motorcycle-riding gunmen shot him also in Barangay San Francisco on April 4.

“We are also wondering why all the messages and contacts in my uncle’s cell phone were deleted. It was empty,” Martin added.