Former Marikina councilor’s slay probed

MANILA, Philippines - The Rizal provincial police is investigating the background of former Marikina City councilor Elmer Nepomuceno to determine the motive for his murder in Cainta town Saturday, an official said yesterday.

Senior Superintendent Rolando Anduyan, Rizal provincial police chief, said they are checking reports that Nepomuceno was involved in illegal gambling.

“We have not yet determined the motive behind Nepomuceno’s ambush-slaying. We are digging into his past records to unearth who could be interested in killing him,” Anduyan said in an interview.

After he lost his reelection bid last May, Nepomuceno filed graft charges against Marikina Mayor Del de Guzman and 14 others regarding a P22-million Christmas bazaar project that he alleged was disadvantageous to the city government.

It was the third attempt on Nepomuceno’s life. Years ago, armed men tried to kill Nepomuceno in front of his house in Barangay Sto. Niño and at the Midtown Subdivision, both in Marikina.

Anduyan created yesterday a Special Investigation Task Group headed by Cainta police chief Superintendent Carlito Briones to probe Nepomuceno’s killing.

Briones said Nepomuceno; his driver, Elmer Lituania; and companion Jayson Villon came from the Texas cockpit in Antipolo City and were on their way home to Marikina City in a silver Hyundai Getz (ZFJ-910).

The vehicle came to a stop near a car dealership in Barangay San Isidro, Cainta at around 4:40 p.m. when two men, riding a motorcycle, parked alongside them.

“It appears that they were being followed from the cockpit. When they were flagged down to stop by a traffic enforcer in the area, the suspects opened fire at Nepomuceno, who was hit six times,” said Anduyan.

Nepomuceno was declared dead on arrival at the Marikina Valley Medical Center.

Lituania also sustained gunshot wounds and is being treated at the Amang Rodriguez Memorial Medical Center while Villion, who was seated at the back, was unscathed.

2 arrested

Investigators recovered six slugs from a 9mm pistol at the crime scene.

After being informed of the ambush on Nepomuceno, the Rizal and Marikina City police launched a dragnet operation and intercepted two men riding a motorcycle. One of the riders was carrying a 9mm pistol, said Anduyan.

The Marikina City police are cross-matching the recovered firearm with the slugs recovered at the ambush site to determine whether the two men had something to do with Nepomuceno’s ambush.

“The companions of Nepomuceno are in shock and cannot identify the two arrested men at the police station because they were wearing helmets at the time of the ambush. So we are resorting to cross-matching to determine whether they are behind the ambush,” Anduyan said.

– With Mike Frialde