Mayor dies from bullet wounds; attackers hunted

BY JERRY PADILLA

SAN CARLOS CITY, Pangasinan – Perpetrators in the killing of Mayor Julian V. Rusuello here are still being ascertained by police. Resuello was shot by still unidentified suspects night of April 28 while shaking hands with people during fiesta at the City auditorium, died from his wounds, the mayor’s son, Vice Mayor Julier Rusuello said.

Mayor Rusuello died at the Saint Luke’s Medical Center in Quezon City with members of the Rusuello family at his bedside. The Rusuello family transported the mayor’s remain to his home city. Rusuello, 54, was serving his final term as mayor and was running as vice mayoralty candidate under the Lakas-CMD party. Police are now busy investigating the attack and pursuing possible suspects.

The mayor was first rushed to the Blessed doctor’s Family Hospital in Barangay Ilang here for medical treatment before being airlifted by a police helicopter from San Carlos City to Saint Luke’s.

His close-in bodyguard, Eulogio Martinez, 41, married, was critically wounded during the shooting and rushed to Blessed Doctors Family Hospital but was declared dead on arrival. The bodyguard had embraced the mayor to protect him from the gunmen.

Former President Fidel V. Ramos conveyed his condolence on April 30 to the family and relatives of Eulogio Martinez, the security aide of Rusuello who placed himself in the assassin’s line in an attempt to shield the mayor.

Also wounded in the incident were Alwin A. Fermin, 29, married, and a resident of Burgos St.; SPO 1 Jaime Almoite; 9-year-old Reyna L. Munoz, a resident of Barangay Alapan, Imus, Cavite, and Paulo M. Biso, 14, a first-year high school student and a resident of Soriano Street here. They were rushed to various hospitals for medical treatment.