House begins probe into unsolved killings of local officials in Pampanga

MANILA, Philippines – The House public order and safety committee initiated an investigation into the unresolved killings of at least six local public officials in the 3rd District of Pampanga on Tuesday, November 26.

In the hearing, Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio Gonzales Jr. said there was a need for a deeper look into the killings of the local officials, following a string of incidents which began in April 2022.

Gonzales said that the motives behind these killings, whether political, business-related, or personal, remained uncertain. However, he expressed hope that the acts of violence targeting local public officials would soon come to an end.

Speaking of the killings, Gonzales told Rappler, “Dapat ala ng malilyaring anti kanini (Nothing like this should happen).”

“Apat la reng keng San Fernando pero ali ku pa balu nung nanu. Mayakit mu rin ing motibo nung politikal and personally, I think intertwined naman uling dakal eh. Nung mag-intertwine ya yan, malyaring iyabe ta ya king quad comm,” he added.

(There are four in San Fernando. But I still don’t know. Eventually the motive will be clear whether political and personally, I think, they could be intertwined because there’s just many of them. If they are intertwined, they could be included in the quad comm hearings.)

Political motive?

San Fernando City Mayor Vilma Caluag speculated that the killings in her city could have a political motive. She said the incidents, which occurred close to the campaign season, could be politically related, though she could not rule out other factors, she said.

“Yes, there could be politics. We won’t disregard that angle. The last time something like this happened in the city was 50 years ago,” Caluag added.

Meanwhile, Arayat Mayor Maria Lourdes Alejandrino dismissed the idea of political motives in her town, although saying she was not around when the two incidents happened.

The latest shooting incident occurred on November 12, when Arayat councilor Federico Hipolito and his companion, Barangay Batasan village chief Julito Trinidad, were shot by unknown assailants. Hipolito was declared dead on arrival, while Trinidad, who sustained gunshot wounds, was rushed to the hospital.

Initial investigations revealed that the victims had just alighted their vehicle when the suspects, riding a motorcycle, opened fire.

This incident added to the series of killings targeting local government officials in Pampanga.

On April 30, 2022, just two weeks before the 2022 elections, Alvin Mendoza, Barangay Captain of Alasas in San Fernando, was ambushed. The suspect remains at large, and the case was dismissed due to insufficient evidence.

Lubao police executive master sergeant and case investigator Caezar Dalay revealed that one of the suspects, identified as alias Jason Alvarez, is a leader of a gun-for-hire group.

Dalay said that Mendoza’s killing could have been politically motivated, or the suspect may have had a personal grudge, as Mendoza was shot multiple times.

Eight months later, on December 28, 2022, Jesus Liang, Barangay Captain of Sto. Rosario in San Fernando, was also killed. The suspect fled on foot and remains unidentified.

On April 17, 2023, former provincial board member and Pampanga Liga ng mga Barangay President Gerome Tubig was shot multiple times by unidentified assailants in San Fernando. Tubig survived but was left with impaired vision.

Then, on June 11, 2024, Barangay Captain Matt Ryan Dela Cruz and his driver, Henry Aquino, were shot dead at a gas station in Barangay Del Pilar, also in San Fernando. The suspects remain at large.

On August 11, 2024, Barangay Captain Mel Lumbang of Laquios, Arayat, was gunned down inside the barangay hall. Police have yet to apprehend the perpetrators. According to Gonzales, Lumbang had been planning to run for vice mayor in the upcoming elections. – Rappler.com