Laguna vice mayor killed in ambush
CAMP VICENTE LIM, Laguna – The vice mayor of Lumban town was killed in an ambush by two motorcycle-riding men in Pagsanjan town yesterday morning, police said. His wife survived the attack.
Senior Superintendent Felipe Rojas Jr., Laguna police director, said Vice Mayor Zaldy Raga, 48, and his wife, Belen, were on their way to
Raga, upon hearing the initial gunshots, immediately covered his wife with his body before shooting back with his caliber .45 pistol, police said.
Despite his multiple gunshot wounds, Raga managed to step out of his vehicle to pursue the ambushers but he fell dead in front of his car.
Witnesses said Raga hit one of the gunmen who fled toward Barangay Dinggin.
Raga’s wife told radio station dzMM that politics is the only reason she could think of as the possible motive behind the ambush.
She said her husband had received death threats through his cellular phone prior to the incident.
Raga defeated Mario Ablao in the vice mayoral race in the recent elections. Ablao is a party-mate in the opposition of Mayor Wilfredo Paraiso.
“We are not accusing anybody as of now until we gather concrete evidence against the possible brains behind the murder,” Rojas told The STAR in a mobile phone interview.
Rojas recalled that Raga had received text messages telling him not to seek the vice mayoral post even before he filed his certificate of candidacy.
Raga, according to Rojas, also received numerous threatening text messages when he served as acting mayor when Paraiso went to the
Rojas ordered a massive manhunt for the ambushers, one of whom was described as having slim build and dark complexion, about 5’7” tall and wearing a baseball cap and black jacket.
Rojas formed Task Force Raga, composed of elements of the provincial and Pagsanjan police, National Bureau of Investigation, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group and the Regional Intelligence Office, to handle the case. Superintendent Fausto Manzanilla heads the task force. – With Ed Amoroso
- Latest
- Trending
