Marcoses offer P.2-M reward in judge’s slay

LAOAG CITY, Ilocos Norte — Two Marcos siblings — Gov. Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. and second district Rep. Imee Marcos — have put up a P200,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the killers of Batac Regional Trial Court Judge Ariston Rubio.

Superintendent Romeo Espiritu, Ilocos Norte police director, said the two Marcoses will shell out P100,000 each from their personal funds.

With the reward, Espiritu is confident that witnesses will now come out to help investigators solve Rubio’s ambush-killing. He pledged to provide them adequate police protection.

Rubio was on his way to his office when he was waylaid last Oct. 31 by motorcycle-riding men along the highway in Barangay Magnuang in Batac town.

The lack of witnesses has stalled the probe despite the presence of many people during the daring daylight ambush.

At least two mini-buses loaded with passengers were on both lanes of a section of the highway that was being repaired when Rubio was ambushed, Espiritu said.

Meanwhile, a neighbor of Rubio in Badoc town said the judge did not intend to go to work that fateful day but changed his mind after he reportedly got a phone call.

The neighbor, who asked not to be identified, said Rubio was reportedly set to play mahjong but dropped the plan because of the call. The judge, he said, did not tell him who the caller was.