Defeated councilor, supporter of losing mayoral bet shot dead

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines  â€” Two persons were gunned down—one of them a defeated councilor and the other a supporter of a defeated mayoralty bet—and three others were injured in a shooting incident in Don Salvador Benedicto town, Negros Occidental Wednesday afternoon, police said yesterday.

Senior Supt. Ricardo de la Paz, acting Negros Occidental Police provincial director, identified the fatalities as Roland Apellido and Gotelio Sabay, while injured were Alfredo Edem, Julie Toledano and Isagani Sagno.

Apellido, a defeated councilor, was a political ally of mayor-elect Jose Max Ortiz, while Sabay was a supporter of defeated reelectionist Mayor Laurence Marxlen De la Cruz.

Apellido was shot in the head, while his companion, Sagno, was seriously injured, allegedly by supporters of De la Cruz during a shooting incident at Crossing Spur 16 in Barangay Bunga of Don Salvador Benedicto.

Initial reports said Sabay and his companions were having a coffee break at a place along the highway of Crossing Spur 16 when the group of Apellido arrived and took a table. Witnesses heard the two groups having a heated argument then gunshots followed.

Sagno, bodyguard of Apellido, allegedly shot Sabay after the latter shot Apellido. Sabay and Edem were casual employees of the LGU.

Toledano, one of the suspects who sustained a minor gunshot wound, surrendered to the police three hours after the incident, and was brought to a hospital for treatment, said de la Paz, adding that it was still being determined if the incident was politically-related, as it came two days after the police declared the elections in Negros Occidental “generally peaceful.” 

Ortiz said in a radio interview that Apellido belonged to his political camp. For more than 30 years, the De la Cruz family has lorded over Don Salvador Benedicto, a hinterland town in Negros Occidental. But in Monday’s elections, the people apparently made a strong statement against political dynasty.

The father, mother, and son of the De la Cruz family, all lost in Monday’s polls, leaving only another son winning in the councilor’s race.

The father, 1st district Provincial Board Member Nehemias de la Cruz Sr., lost in the congressional race against incumbent Rep. Jules Ledesma, husband of actress Assunta de Rossi.

The mother, incumbent Don Salvador Benedicto Vice Mayor Cynthia de la Cruz, lost in her reelection bid to Misael Delantar, by 47 votes only. Their son, incumbent Mayor Laurence Marxlen de la Cruz, also lost by 471 votes to Jose Max Ortiz, who was already proclaimed winner by the board of canvassers.

Before Marxlen, Nehemias and Cynthia had also served as mayors of Don Salvador Benedicto.

The only winner was their other son, Nehemias de la Cruz Jr., who won his reelection bid as town councilor. Among the supporters of Ortiz were Ledesma and business tycoon Eduardo Cojuangco.  (FREEMAN)