POLICE filed on Thursday, September 13, murder charges against Trece Martires, Cavite Mayor Melandres de Sagun and several others for their alleged involvement in the killing of Trece Martires Vice Mayor Alexander Lubigan.
Gemma Lubigan, the vice mayor's widow, and Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna Batangas, Rizal, Quezon) police director Chief Superintendent Edward Carranza filed two counts of murder and one count of frustrated murder before the Department of Justice against De Sagun.
Carranza said the primary motive of the killing on July 7, 2018 was politics.
“Noong nalaman nila na tatakbo bilang mayor (si Lubigan) pinapatay na nila agad (They had Lubigan killed when they learned that he was going to run for mayor),” the police official said.
He said the police have an airtight case against the suspects, backed by the money trail and the statements of the witnesses.
Mayor de Sagun was identified as the alleged mastermind behind the killing of Lubigan.
He was charged along with the following: Maragondon, Cavite Councilor Lawrence Arca, Luis Vasquez Abad Jr., Ariel Fletchetro Paiton, Rhonel Bersamina and several John and Jane Does.
Carranza said Paiton was positively identified by two witnesses as the gunman in the killing.
One witness is Romeo Edrinal, Lubigan’s security escort who survived the incident.
“Noong nakasakay na po ako sa likod bilang isang security ni Vice Alex nakita ko sa likod ng bandang tagiliran na may papalapit na itim na sasakyan sa amin mula sa likuran at nang huminto sa tapat namin ang itim na pick-up nakita ko si Ariel Paiton alias Dagul na nakaupo sa likuran ng driver nakilala ko siya dahil nakabukas ang bintana niya at siya ang nakatapat sa aking kinauupuan, matagal ko na po siyang kilala dahil siya po ay tauhan ng dating mayor Jun de Sagun na anak ni Mayor Melandres de Sagun,” Edrinal said in his statement to the police.
(As the security escort of Vice Alex, I was seated at the back of the vehicle. I saw a black vehicle approach our vehicle from the side. When it stopped alongside our vehicle, I saw Ariel Paiton alias Dagul who seated at the back of the driver. I recognized him because his window was open. I have known him for a long time because he is a follower of former mayor Jun de Sagun, son of Mayor Melandres de Sagun.)
Carranza said Paiton admitted to the other witness his participation in the killing allegedly on orders of Mayor de Sagun.
He said Paiton also gave money to the other witness to pay Arca for disposing of the vehicle used in the killing.
Carranza said Abad was the driver of the suspects’ vehicle.
On July 7, at least three days after he reportedly expressed his intention to run as mayor in the 2019 elections, Lubigan was gunned down while on board his vehicle along Trece-Indang Road in Barangay Lucino, Trece Martires City.
His driver, Romulo Guillemer, was also killed in the incident. They both sustained gunshot wounds in the head.
On July 11, Wednesday, police recovered the vehicle used in the killing of the vice mayor in Mabacao-Pantihan bridge in Barangay Tulay in Maragondon Cavite.