MABALACAT CITY – Bacolor Mayor Jomar O. Hizon has condemned the killing of his staunch supporters, a barangay captain and two councilmen, in Barangay Bundagul here over the weekend even as Pampanga police director Senior Supt. Oscar Albayalde formed a Special Investigation Task Group (SITG) yesterday to identify and hunt down the killers.
Mesalipit, Bacolor Barangay Captain Rodrigo L. Tongol and former councilmen Pedro S. Canlas and Merlito N. Pineda were killed in an ambush while on their way home in their service vehicle to the Madapdap Resettlement Center here by still unidentified men reportedly on board a motorcycle.
Hizon went to the wake of the victims on Sunday and gave financial assistance to their families as well as scholarships to their children.
According to Hizon, Barangay Mesalipit is one of three barangays where his team won 10-0 in the last elections.
He said Tongol is not only a loyal follower but also a good friend. Hizon said his “senseless killing” is a great loss to his constituents and to the people of Bacolor.
The mayor said the victims were on their way home to Madapdap where most residents of Bacolor were resettled after the lahar event in 1995 that virtually wiped out Bacolor from the map.
Hizon refused to comment if the killings are politically motivated considering the upcoming barangay elections in October. But investigators are not discounting the possibility that the killing had something to do with politics.
Witnesses reportedly saw a car that was tailing the victims’ vehicle shortly before the attack.
Reports indicate that Tongol could have run unopposed in his barangay this October since nobody had signified any intention to run nor filed a certificate a candidacy to oppose him.
Police recovered empty shells from a .45 caliber pistol in the crime scene.
Meanwhile, Albayalde said he has formed an SITG and ordered a manhunt against the suspects.
Albayalde said a “case conference” with the STIG was scheduled yesterday afternoon.
