LUCENA CITY – The local chief executive of Mulanay town in Quezon province has offered a P100,00 reward for information that would lead to the arrest of the killers of his security escort.
“I’m offering the cash reward to help in our speedy pursuit of justice,” Mayor Joselito Ojeda said Sunday.
Ruben Subia, a local government employee assigned as one of Ojeda’s security escorts was gunned down by two unidentified gunmen in Barangay (village) Sta. Rosa early Saturday morning. The victim died on the spot.
READ: Security escort of Quezon town mayor shot dead
With Subia’s assassination, Ojeda said he had advised all his men to observe all security measures for their personal protection and also for their families
With the breakdown of peace and order in the municipality, Ojeda is also demanding the immediate replacement of the local police chief.
Ojeda asked Department of Interior and Local Government Officer-in-Charge Sec. Eduardo Año and Philippine National Police chief Dir. Gen. Oscar Albayalde to immediately replace Chief Insp. Joselito Araja.
He also called on Quezon Gov. David Suarez to help him secure a dedicated police chief for his town.
“I and the victim’s family demand independent investigators to probe the death of my man,” he said.
Ojeda blamed the breakdown of peace and order in their town to local policemen.
“I don’t even know the policemen assigned in our town. They are all busy performing tasks not related to maintaining peace and order,” Ojeda said.
The mayor said Araja and the local police force were allegedly busy acting as security escorts to former Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II, whenever he’s in town and also to his close relative.
Araja denied the accusations. /ee