Batangas mayor slain

LIAN, Batangas - The mayor of this town was gunned down yesterday morning in front of his house here allegedly by a former policeman sacked for numerous cases.

Mayor Sixto Vergara, 48, who belonged to the party of former President Joseph Estrada, died at the hospital after being shot allegedly by former policeman Lorenzo Tolentino three times in the body at 4:30 a.m. yesterday.

P/Supt. Rolando Lorenzo, Batangas police director, said the mayor’s wife and daughter positively identified Tolentino as the one who shot the mayor in close range in front of their house on J.P Laurel st. Poblacion here.

The suspect escaped after the incident.

"I have already sent police operatives to the possible hiding places here in Southern Tagalog and even his (suspect) relatives in Metro Manila" Lorenzo said.

Police said Vergara was about to drive his wife Pacita and daughters Maria and Suzette to Manila, when the gunman pumped bullets at him.

"My mother and sister Maria saw Tolentino shoot our father just near our gate" Vergara’s daughter Suzette told The STAR.

Sources said Tolentino was a volunteer campaigner of Vergara when the latter sought a second term as Lian mayor last May.

Lian police chief Sr. Insp. Francisco Ebreo identified the suspect as "a troublesome policeman."

"He was involved in the killing of a CAFGU many years ago. He was even shot by his commanding officer when he ran amok inside the police station here in Lian sometime in 1991 or 92," he added.

Local Lian police probers are digging deeper into yesterday’s incident while eyeing personal grudge as the most probable motive in yesterday’s killing.

It was gathered that last year the suspect’s brother Raul, was killed by unidentified men.

The case is still unsolved despite Lorenzo’s persistent efforts in soliciting Mayor Vergara’s assistance.

"Matagal na niyang (suspect) ipinapakiusap sa kanyang kumpare (Vergara) na asikasuhin agad ang kaso ng kanyang kapatid subalit hanggang ngayon ay wala pa yatang nangyayari rito, (He had been asking his kumpare (Vergara) to work on the case but until now nothing had happened)," a Lian folk said.

Chief Superintendent Domingo Reyes, police director for Southern Tagalog, dispatched a unit from the Regional Special Action Force to assist the local Lian police in tracking down the suspect. — With Rene Alviar