SAN Fernando mayoral candidate Ruben Feliciano vehemently denied he had anything to do with the deaths of his political opponents.
According to Feliciano, who recently moved to Cebu from Davao City, they were killed because of their alleged involvement in the illegal drug trade.
The most recent to fall was Ricardo “Nonoy” Reluya, barangay captain of Panadtaran and Association of Barangay Councils president in the town. Nonoy was the husband and runningmate of Feliciano’s rival for the mayoralty.
Nonoy died along with two others when the van they were riding was ambushed on the national highway in Barangay Linao, Talisay City last Tuesday afternoon, Jan. 22. His wife, Mayor Lakambini “Neneth” Reluya, and two others survived the attack.
Nonoy earlier accused Feliciano of threatening the couple along with their allies. He had said the businessman had posted a “kill list” on social media that included, among others, their names.
Feliciano had scoffed at the idea, saying the official should ask the police instead about the recent spate of killings involving town officials, insinuating that the victims had been under investigation for their alleged involvement in illegal drugs.
He also denied he was involved in the “kill list,” yet SunStar Cebu received screen captures of the posts, which had since been erased.
So the kill list does exist.
Granted that Feliciano didn’t come up with it, but he must have known who did? Unless someone had hacked into his social media account and posted it without his knowledge.
Incidentally, Feliciano relocated to the southern town, where he has a P12.5-billion port project that has been put on hold after the mayor issued an executive order suspending the construction, development and reclamation projects along the shores of Barangay Sangat last year.
The Reluyas had been saying that politics was the root of the violence that had wracked the once quiet town.
But Feliciano countered that he had taken the matter to court because he was not the kind to take the law into his own hands.
As a newcomer to the town, the businessman couldn’t have been privy to such delicate information, such as certain local officials’ alleged involvement in the illegal drug trade, unless someone who wanted the Reluyas out of the Municipal Hall gave it to him.