Raps vs. Trece Martires mayor, 9 others over vice mayor’s slay

The Philippine National Police (PNP) yesterday filed complaints for murder and frustrated murder against Trece Martires Mayor Melandres de Sagun and nine others in connection with the killings of Vice Mayor Alex Lubigan of Trece Martires Cavite and his driver Romulo Gillemer last July.

PNP Chief Oscar Albayalde said the 10 suspects conspired in the intricate murder plot, which included payoffs in a hotel, securing a getaway car, disposing the vehicle and the murder weapon, among others.

Others charged before the Department of Justice were Maragondon Councilor Lawrence "Umbe" Arca, Luis Vasquez Abad Jr., Ariel Fletchetro Paiton, Rhonel Bersamina and some yet unidentified individuals.

All 10 repondents are still at large, and only Abad has a standing warrant of arrest. He has been identified by police investigators as the one who drove the getaway vehicle used in the killing of Lubigan.

Mayor de Sagun, on the other hand, is in Los Angeles, California.

PNP Cavite Provincial Director William Segun noted that the killing was politically motivated since de Sagun and Lubigan have been at odds since the 2016 polls.

“Based on our investigation, last elections, medyo di na sila in good terms ni mayor. Nung nabalitaan ni mayor na tatakbo si vice, alam niya na mahina siya, malakas sa tao si vice, kinabahan siguro, natakot na siya, kaya ginawa niya ito,” Segun said.

Segun also disclosed that one of the witnesses who helped in the case build-up was a brother of Paiton, who was tagged as the gunman in the killing.

“Nag-aaway na sila [ng magkapatid]. Noong good terms pa sila nitong suspect na Paiton, nagkukwento sa ating witness. Ang pagkakasabi ng ating suspect sa ating witness, siya ang pumatay kay vice mayor sa kautusan ni mayor,” Segun said.

Gemma Lubigan, the widow of the late vice mayor, said her husband was looking for extra protection in the days prior to his death.

Lubigan was killed a day after he announced his intention to run for mayor in the 2019 elections, according to Interior and Local Government officerin-charge Eduardo Año last July.

The city official and his aide were killed in a daylight ambush attack in a Trece Martires barangay, closely following the deaths of Tanauan, Batangas Mayor Antonio Halili and General Tinio, Nueva Ecija Mayor Ferdinand Bote, also in July.