14 killed, 7 hurt in Ecija poll violence

11 police chiefs replaced 

By Ding Cervantes 

CLARK FREEPORT, Pampanga – Fourteen persons were killed while seven others were hurt in recent poll-related ambushes in Nueva Ecija, reason why the  Commission on Elections should declare the province an election hotspot amid escalating cases of political violence, a lawmaker said.

Nueva Ecija Fourth District Rep. Rodolfo Antonino said 14 persons were killed and seven others were wounded in recent ambushes in the province.

“Eleven of the incidents occurred this year, including six last September,” Antonino said at a media forum here.

He said among the victims were city and town councilors and barangay officials, including former Association of Barangay Captains president Rick Ramos of Talavera, chairman Cesar Baltazar of Barangay Luna, lay minister Nicanor Toledo, former Quezon town councilor Daniel Lonzanida and barangay chairman GarielRoxas of Cuyapa in Gabaldon.

On Monday night, motorcycle-riding gunmen shot dead a former town councilor of Quezon town.

Daniel Lonzanida of Barangay Bertese, 46, was walking along the provincial road in Purok Bertese around 6:30 p.m. when two men on a motorcycle pulled over to chat with him, Police Officer 2 Rodelio Rivera, quoting witnesses, said.

Rivera said two men on another motorcycle arrived and one of the riders shot Lonzanida at close range.

Following the killings, the Nueva Ecija police office  replaced 11 chiefs of police in two cities and nine towns for inefficiency in addressing rising crime rate.

Provincial police director Senior Supt. Manuel Cornel ordered replaced from their posts the police chiefs of the towns of Quezon, Licab, Laur, General Tinio, Pantabangan, Lupao, Nampicuan, Gabaldon and General Natividad, and the cities of San Jose and Muñoz.

Cornel designated Supt. PoncianoZafra, former deputy provincial director for investigation, as police chief of Muñoz.

San Jose City Mayor MarivicViolago-Belena personally requested immediate relief of Supt. NolieAzuncion, who was replaced by Supt. Reynaldo dela Cruz.

Cornel cited overstaying, under-performance and mayors’ request as among the reasons for the reshuffle.

The police chiefs of Licab and Quezon reportedly failed to implement the OplanLambatSibat.  -- Ding Cervantes, Manny Galvez