Daughter continues slain father’s mayoralty bid

By Mar T. Supnad

TARLAC CITY — The family of slain mayoralty candidate who was brutally killed Monday and the Lakas-CMD party endorsed Wednesday the victim’s daughter to replace him to run for mayor of San Jose town.

Lakas-CMD provincial chair Pearl Pacada, who is running for governor, confirmed this Wednesday saying the family of Rudy Abella, and Lakas had endorsed the candidacy of Lalaine Abella, to run for mayor.

Rudy Abella was shot dead in full view of the public and in broad daylight Monday by unknown gunmen while campaigning at Sitio Sta. Cruz, Barangay Iba, San Jose.

According to police director Senior Supt Alfred Corpus, they have already angles on the shooting to death of the victim identified as Rudy Abella, 65, incumbent chairman of Barangay Burgos and president of the Association of Barangay Captains.

“We have now the computerized sketch of the suspects and we have already angles on the killing,” said  Corpuz.

The victim, who is reportedly a strong contender of reelectionist Mayor Jose “Penggoy” Yap, elder brother of Gov. Victor Yap, was a former policeman.

As this developed, gubernatorial candidate Pearl E. Pacada, chairman of Lakas-CMD in Tarlac, condemned yesterday the merciless and indiscriminate killing of her strong  political leader in San Jose.

Initial police investigation showed that prior to the incident the victim together with Barangay Iba chairman Judy Laurzano, his vice mayoralty candidate, were having their campaign sortie at said place when bursts of gun fires broke out.

The victim was then seated and waiting for his turn to talk before a large crowd when two unidentified gunmen armed with caliber 45 and 9mm pistols approached the victim and suddenly shot him at close range, hitting his chest and abdomen.

Police said the shooting rampage also hit a certain Marites Sigua, 35, of the place of incident which was hit by a stray bullet.

Meanwhile, Senator Bong Revilla, Chairman Lakas-CMD and Rep. Martin Romualdez, part president, condemned yesterday in the strongest terms the brutal and barbaric killing of mayoral candidate Rudy Abella in San Jose, Tarlac.