2 Ecija execs, worker cheat death in ambush

By LIAM ANACLETO

CABANATUAN CITY – Police are now trying to establish identities of two men who ambushed two top officials of the provincial government and an employee of the provincial Capitol here in Gapan City night of Jan. 17.

Senior Supt. Napoleon Taas, newly installed OIC-provincial director, said those ambushed were engineer Vicente “Boyet” Santos, 48, OIC provincial engineer and engineer Roberto Lenocio, 48, assistant chief of the provincial general services office, both of Barangay San Roque, San Leonardo, Nueva Ecija and engineer Anthony Afaro, 26, chief Barangay Sto. Nino, Gapan. The three survived the ambush with no bullet wounds.

Supt. Marlon Bingcang, police station commander, said the ambush was staged by armed men at around 10:10 p.m. while the three were riding a gray Nissan Frontier pickup.

Bingcang said the vehicle, (SFC-823) and driven by Leoncio, was in front of Alfaro’s house when the two gunmen aboard a red Honda motorcycle (TMX-155) and who were wearing fatigue jackets and ski-masks drew their guns and fired at them. Three bullets pierced the vehicle, damaging its windshield.

The three ducked for cover and scampered towards the barangay hall in Barangay San Nicolas.
Police recovered from the crime scene empty shells from a 9 mm revolver and one bullet.

Lawyer Ferdinand Abesamis, a consultant of Nueva Ecija Gov. Aurelio Umali, told newsmen Santos was appointed by the government to head the provincial engineering office shortly after the elections.