Lauro San Jose said the last time his brother told him about the threats was on Monday (Oct. 17). “Sang-ayon sa kanya ay meron daw siyang natatanggap (death threats)” which reportedly meant that someone would kill him to “make a sample” to his group.
But he told his brother it would not be that easy. “Pero hayan na nga nangyari na,” San Jose lamented.
“Ilang araw bago mangyari ‘yan, si Konsehal Sonny po a napansin namin medyo balisa. Sinasabi po niya hindi siya mapagkatulog sa gabi sapagkat merong nagtatangka sa kanyang buhay,” councilor Arthur Velayo, one of the victim’s six allies at the city council, said.
San Jose, a member of the council’s majority, and his driver were gunned down by unidentifi ed suspects who barged into the compound of a certain Ruel Francisco in Purok 4, Barangay Mangino here at around 1:20 p.m. Wednesday, police said.
Investigation showed that the victims were seated on monoblock chairs when the “suspects entered the compound and without apparent reason shot the driver twice then the councilor in his head.” Both victims died on the spot.
Follow up investigation showed three people actually entered the compound but only one of them fired a gun.
Probers recovered 12 empty shells of .45 pistol, police said. Police has yet to establish the motive of the attack.
Association of Barangay Councils president Danilo Pangilinan, ex-officio member of the city council whose wife is also a sangguniang panlungsod member, lamented that while he was at the morgue overseeing San Jose’s remains an unidentifi ed person fired a gun in the air in front of his house at around 6 p.m. and another at the back at about 7 p.m.
No one was hurt in the incident which police is still looking into.
Mayor Emerson Pascual put up P200,000 reward from his own pocket for anyone who can provide information that will lead to the arrest of the suspects in the killing of San Jose. “Sampal po ito sa panunungkulan ko bilang alkalde ng siyudad ng Gapan. Ito pong pinatay na to eh kapatid namin sa panunungkulan sa pagsisilbi sa bayan,” said
Pascual who won with peace and order on top of his agenda last election. Pascual said he met San Jose, being non-partymates, only thrice, first during the pre-election signing of peace covenant, second when the latter visited him at his office after they formally took office, and recently during a surprise drug testing.
But San Jose, he said, was known to be a good person. “Hindi ko po siya kilala nang personal, pero pag ipinagtanong niyo siya sa siyudad ng Gapan mabait na tao, wala pong kagalit, mainam makisama, madaming kabarkada,” Pascual said.
Velayo called on the national government to deliver justice for San Jose. “Ano pong malay natin yung ginawa sa kanya’y gawin din sa amin. Kaya sana nga po, magkaroon ng hustisya yung pagkamatay ni Kon. Sonny San Jose sapagkat kapag hindi po nangyari yan e lahat na po ng mamamayan sa siyudad ng Gapan ay hindi mapapanatag. Magiging ligalig ang kanilang pamumuhay,” he said.
