Ex-Ecija V-Mavor slain ambush

By Liam Anacleto

CABIAO, Nueva Ecija – Motorcycle-riding men gunned down a former vice mayor of this town afternoon on of August 14. Senior Supt. Ricardo Marquez, acting provincial police director, bared this saying former vice mayor Boy Good Clemente, 51, was standing in front of a vulcanizing shop in Barangay San Fernando Sur where he parked his Starex van when two motorcycle-riding men shot him with a Cal. 45 pistol in the back at around 1:30 p.m.

Clemente died from four gunshot wounds. Details about the killing remain sketchy and have yet to determine the possible motive.

Clemente’s killing sent shocked residents to this town where he had no known enemies.

Cabiao, hometown of the late National Bureau of Investigation director Reynaldo Wycoco and former Manila Rep. Mark Jimenez, has had no history of killings of local officials.

Mayor Abundia Garcia, a close ally of Gov. Aurelio Umali under whose Lakas-CMD party Clemente ran for reelection in 2004, said the killing was an unfortunate in this town considering that the victim was good.

Clemente was elected vice mayor in 2001 when Gloria Crespo-Congco was still mayor. He ran for reelection under Garcia’s ticket but lost to the incumbent, Mar Simbillo.

Garcia said prior to the incident, Clemente confided to her he was having problems with the cockpit arena he was operating.

“He said he got involved in a feud involving the cockpit so I warned him to be extra careful,” she said. Garcia has created a task force to dig deeper into the killing and has offered a reward that could lead to the arrest of Clemente's killers.