Supporter of reelectionist Cebu town mayor shot dead

CEBU CITY— A supporter of a reelectionist mayor in a Cebu town was shot dead in a noon ambush on Wednesday in the municipality.

The victim, 48-year-old Rene Cangmaong, a supporter of Mayor Aljun Diamante of Tubran town, Cebu, was killed on Wednesday noon, at the municipality’s upland area in Sitio Sambag, Barangay Mag-antoy.

Cangmaong, a former member of the New People’s Army (NPA) based in Tuburan, was a job order employee of Tuburan, working as a market guard.

SPO1 John Philip Acaso, investigator of the Tuburan police, said  that Cangmaong was with six men on board three motorcycles when they were waylaid by at least three unidentified armed men.

One of them was reportedly hurt on the leg.

Acaso said the armed men might have waited on a hill top as the victims, including Cagmaong, were making their way to an uphill road.

While his companions scampered away, Cangmaong was left, slumped on the ground and he was allegedly shot several times. The assailants sped away on board a motorcycle.

Acaso said the five other survivors claimed that they came from the house of Diamante in Barangay Cogon.

They were on their way to Barangay Kabangkalan, some 25 kilometers from the town proper, to attend a fiesta celebration when they were attacked.

He said the survivors’ description of the attackers were still sketchy and they  could not say exactly how many assailants took part in the ambush.

The survivors were identified as Jovelito Baguio, 27; Alexander Lato, 42; Vicente Labador, 45; and a certain “Boboy ” and “Pepe.”

Acaso said Labador, who sustained a gunshot wound on one of his legs, left with a certain Pepe to seek treatment.

“We checked on our district hospital but they were not there, we are still looking for them,” Acaso said in Cebuano.

As of 7:30 p.m., Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) had yet to arrive to check the area for empty shells and retrieve the remains.  SFM