Ecija cop chief sacked amid mayor's ambush-slay

CABANATUAN CITY, Philippines  – The police chief of Guimba town has been removed from his post following the ambush-killing of Carranglan Mayor Restituto Abad last Feb. 4.

Senior Superintendent Roberto Aliggayu, provincial police director, said Superintendent Renato David, Guimba police chief, has been placed on floating status at the provincial police headquarters here.

David was replaced by Superintendent Reynaldo de la Cruz.

Aliggayu said David’s relief came as an offshoot of the attack on Abad who was waylaid while on his way to a meeting of fellow Masons in Guimba town. He died four days later at the St. Luke’s Medical Center in Taguig City.

Aliggayu said he has created a special task force to hunt down Abad’s killers.

The eight-man task force is led by Superintendent Sidney Villaflor, deputy provincial director for operations.

Gov. Aurelio Umali, a close political ally of Abad, has offered a P1-million reward for information leading to the arrest of the mayor’s ambushers.

During the necrological rites for Abad, Umali said the mayor’s family should get justice.

Earlier, police arrested a suspect, a certain Jose Berlino. But the alleged triggerman, Jonathan Carpio, remains at large.

Aliggayu said Carpio is the key to the eventual solution of the case, including the identification of the possible mastermind.

“He is the key to it all. He will reveal everything,” he said.