LINGAYEN–The province’s mayors are worried and the governor is mad as hell.

Governor Amado Espino Jr. wants the hired killers and those responsible for the deaths of Agno town Mayor Arthur Cabantac and other public officials, arrested and brought to justice.

In his State of the Province Address at the Capitol Building last Monday, Espino said he has directed intensive search for suspected “for-hire-guns” operating in the province.

He added that movements of some politicians and businessmen who are known to maintain large armed bodyguards are now being monitored. He, too, expressed alarm over the spate of killing of politicians over the past months despite the peaceful environment in the province.

Cabantac was shot dead by an unknown assassin while playing mahjong in another residence near his house.

Binalonan town Mayor Ramon Guico Jr., president of the Pangasinan Mayors’ League and the League of Municipalities of the Philippines, shared Espino’s observations that hired killers appear to be operating in Pangasinan with impunity.

“Dati konsehal lang ang pinapatay ngayon umabot na sa mga mayors,” Guico said.

An emergency meeting was convened between the local government officials and the province’s Philippine National Police station to evaluate the situation and to adopt plans to counter the series of political killings plan in the province.

Sta. Barbara Mayor Reynaldo Velasco, executive vice president of the Pangasinan Mayors’ League, expressed his own apprehension over the series of political assassination in the province.

“We cannot allow criminals to operate in Pangasinan,” he added.

“We will act collectively to look for all of those people (hired killers),” he added.

Balungao town Mayor Jose Peralta Jr. whose father, Mayor Jose Peralta Sr. was also gunned down inside the church sometime in 1993 said it hurts to see lives of fellow mayors being wasted.

He said up to now his dad’s case remains unsolved, a situation he hopes will not happen in the case of Cabantac.

Pangasinan Rep. Arthur Celeste said this was the first time a political killing happened in his district.

Meanwhile, P/Sr. Supt. Isagani Nerez, police provincial director, gave his assurance that there will be no let-up in the manhunt for the killers of the mayor and other politicians.

Reacting to knee jerk reactions that mayors arm themselves anew, Burgos Mayor Domingo Doctor said arming the mayors will not solve the problem as “one cannot be safe from a determined assassin”.

Binmaley Mayor Simplicio Rosario said the slain mayor only had one security detail because the latter was confident no one would do him harm since he felt he had not made enemies of anyone.

Rosario now recommends that until hired guns are arrested, mayors double their security detail.

Cabantac ran and lost in 2004 but won in his second attempt in 2007. He ended the almost 30- year rule of the Rosete family.

Incumbent Vice Mayor Jose Pajeta is the nephew of former Mayor Leticia Rosete. #

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