Mayor, 3 aides slain in Cagayan ambush

By Jun Guiang and CL

SOLANA, Cagayan — The mayor of Rizal town in Cagayan was killed along with three of his security men when some 20 heavily armed men ambushed them in this town night of Dec. 3. Four of his bodyguards survived.

Reports said the ambushers even used floodlights during the attack, indicating they were well-prepared for the job.

Their target, Rizal Mayor Raul de la Cruz, died from bullet wounds in the head and body as the ambushers, who were armed with high-caliber guns, opened fire on the mini-bus he and his bodyguards were riding.

One of the survivors said the mayor was still able to order them to fight back before he was cut down by a hail of bullets.

"Huwag mag-panic. Lumaban nang todo bago tayo uubusin. (Don’t panic. Let’s fight with all we got before we all get killed)," the survivor quoted the mayor as saying.

Chief Supt. Roberto Damian, Cagayan Valley police director, identified De la Cruz’s aides killed in the attack as Ramon Gundan Jr., Federico Canay Jr., and John Baluran, the coaster’s driver.

Wounded were Nilo Patay, Alan de la Cruz, Victor Baluran and Aurelio Cauilan, who are now tightly guarded in the hospital.

Police said the mayor and his group just came from a medical mission and were on their way to Tuguegarao City aboard a mini-bus owned by the Rizal municipal government when they were waylaid around 10 p.m. along the Tuguegarao-Piat Highway in Barangay Maddarulug, Solana town.

Damian told newsmen the mayor’s security men traded shots with the ambushers but were unsure if there were casualties on the attackers’ side as there were no bloodstains in their escape route.

Damian said the firefight lasted 20 minutes, and attackers also attempted to burn the minibus.

De la Cruz was rushed to the St. Paul Hospital here but was declared dead on arrival due to multiple gunshot wounds.

Damian said they have provided De la Cruz’s family with protection following the attack.

Damian said he met with De la Cruz on Dec. 1 and warned him about a death threat against him.

“We talked for over one and a half hours. I even told him to coordinate with Cagayan police director Senior Supt. Moro Lazo to arrange his security,” he said.

“I even asked him if there was something I could do to augment his security and he told me, ‘OK na OK ako, sir, I can manage.’ I reminded him to be careful several times; I don’t know how many times,” he added.

Damian said he and De la Cruz agreed to meet again on Jan. 9 during the Rizal town fiesta.

Last month, a grand rally for peace was held in Tuguegarao City to call for an end to all political and ideology-related violence in the province, in line with President Arroyo’s earlier call during a region-wide peace and security summit here.

As this developed, Director General Jesus Verzosa, chief of the Philippine National Police, ordered pursuit operations against killers of the mayor.

Verzosa issued the order in the wake of reports that the Cagayan PNP Regional Office is eyeing three possible angles in the killing of Mayor De la Cruz and his security men.

Among the motives being looked into are politics, a personal grudge, and an attack by New People’s Army rebels, police said.