Politics, business rivalry eyed in ex-NE exec’s slay

BY LIAM ANACLETO

CABANATUAN CITY, Nueva Ecija -- Police are probing politics and business rivalry in the ambush-slaying on March 29 of a former Nueva Ecija board member in front of his wife and son in San Isidro town.

Senior Supt. Napoleon Taas, Nueva Ecija provincial police director, said the dying declaration of the victim, Rodolfo Lopez, 52, helped probers identify three of the suspects in the crime.

While being rushed to the Good Samaritan Hospital in Cabanatuan City in an ambulance, Lopez told his wife and son one of the gunmen was their former driver, Lito Flores.

“We considered this case solved following the identification of the gunmen,” said Taas.

He said his men are now hunting down Flores, his brother, Evelito and one Benito Hipolito.

Police filed murder charges against the Flores brothers and Hipolito before the provincial prosecutor’s office in Nueva Ecija on March 31.

“Politics and business rivalry are among the angles being worked on by our police investigators in the Lopez murder,” said Taas.

Lopez was a former provincial board member and Association of Barangay Councils president of San Isidro town.

He was a known ally of San Isidro Mayor Sonia Lorenzo.

Lopez served as a political coordinator and infrastructure staff of Nueva Ecija fourth district Rep. Rodolfo Antonino before he was killed.

Taas said Lopez, his wife and son were about to board their white Nissan van parked at a basketball court near the barangay hall in Barangay Poblacion after attending evening mass on March 30 at the San Isidro Parish Church when three gunmen appeared and shot Lopez at close range at around 7:40 p.m.

Lopez sustained three gunshot wounds in the chest. He was declared dead on arrival at the hospital.

Responding police recovered three spent shells and three slugs from a Cal.45 automatic pistol at the crime scene.

Upon learning about Lopez’s murder, Taas directed the 309th Provincial Mobile Group to set up roadblocks and checkpoints to intercept three of the fleeing suspects, who were on board two motorcycles.

But the effort failed. “We are checking reports that the fourth suspect entered a van right after the shooting,” said Taas.

Taas has created Task Force Uding, composed of elements of the San Isidro police and the provincial office of the Criminal Investigation and Detective Group headed by Supt. Benjie Villasis to go after Lopez’s assassins.

Supt. Isagani Aguas, deputy provincial police director, said incumbent Barangay Pulo captain Cherry de la Cruz was ruled out as a suspect although she had a rift with Lopez.