MANILA – The mayor of the municipality of Sudipen in La Union province and two others died when still unidentified gunmen fired at the pickup truck they were riding Monday night in Bangar town.
Mayor Alexander Buquing, police escort Police Officer 2 Rolando Juanbe and driver Boni Depdepen were killed. The mayor’s wife, Vice Mayor Wendy Joy Buquing, was hurt.
The shooting happened at around 6:40 p.m. on the Bangar-Castro provincial road in Barangay Cadapali. Mayor Buquing and the others were inside a Toyota Hilux when gunned down by suspects aboard a white pickup.
First responders rushed Mayor Buquing and Juanbe to the Ilocos Sur District Hospital in the nearby Tagudin town where they were pronounced “dead on arrival.”
On the other hand an ambulance carried Vice Mayor Buquing and Depdepen to the Lorma Medical Center in San Fernando City, La Union where the former was still being treated while the latter perished.
The Philippine National Police condemned the ambush. They formed a special task force to determine the motive.
“While we are saddened by this unfortunate incident, we would like to assure the families of the victims that the PNP are committed in getting into the bottom of this case,” Director General Oscar Albayalde, PNP chief, said in a statement.
“We have already tasked our special investigation task group on the ground to conduct a thorough investigation. We will keep you posted as soon as developments arise,” he added.
Albayalde also appealed to the public to provide any information that could help in locating the perpetrators.
Mayor Buquing became the 11th mayor to be killed since Rodrigo Duterte assumed the presidency on July 1, 2016, PNP data showed.
Earlier killed were Rolando Espinosa of Albuera, Leyte; Reynaldo Parojinog of Ozamiz City; Antonio Halili of Tanauan City, Batangas; and Ferdinand Bote of General Tinio, Nueva Ecija./PN
