LINGAYEN–A policeman from San Quintin is now under custody in connection with the slaying of Mayor Arthur Cabantac of Agno on the night of August 2.

The name of the policeman is still being withheld by Police Provincial Director Sr Supt. Isagani Nerez who formed Task Force Cabantac to go after the mayor’s killers, including the mastermind.

Task Force Cabantac is headed by Supt David Rapizora, police deputy provincial director for operations, with elements from the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, Provincial Intelligence and Investigation Division and Agno Police as members.

The National Bureau of Investigation is conducting a parallel investigation.

CABANTAC

A report reaching the PUNCH stated that the suspect used to be a member of the Agno Police Station but was transferred to another assignment at the request of Cabantac having identified him as one who was extremely loyal to former mayor Leticia Rosete, whom he beat in the last election.

The policeman was reportedly subjected to paraffin test but the result of which has not yet been made available at press time.

The arrest of the suspect followed the theory that Nerez held, that politics was the motive behind the slaying. This was shared by the Cabantac family.

In the last election, Cabantac ended a dynasty rule in Agno that held the town for many decades by defeating then incumbent mayor Leticia Rosete.

Cabantac won the election for mayor after two failed campaigns. In the 2004 polls, he lost to Adan Rosete, husband of Leticia.

Vice Mayor Jose “Joel” Nadal, Leticia’s nephew, has succeeded the slain Cabantac as mayor of Agno.— LM

“Why repay my husband’s
sacrifices with 4 bullets?”

AGNO–Adevilenia Cabantac, the grieving widow of slain Mayor Arthur Cabantac of this town, asked, “Is this the way to treat a man who sacrificed a lot for his town?” as she wondered why anyone would want him killed.

In a phone interview with The PUNCH, she said she decided to bring her husband’s remains Wednesday to their residence in Quezon City and bury him in Loyola Memorial Park in Marikina, not in Agno.

The bitter widow said bringing his husband away from the town was the only way the family could have peace and mourn quietly.

“There is so much tension around us in the town,” she said as she tried to overcome her own grief.

“I will miss his caring and loving ways to us, his family,” she said.

In one occasion she told some friends, “Pinahiram ko lang siya sa inyo. Sana ibinalik nyo siya sa amin ng buo at buhay.”

She said the mayor traded his comfortable life and well-paying job in Metro Manila in exchange for serving his native town. He was the director for National Capital Region of the National Housing Authority (NHA) and it was during his assignment in the Visayas where he was exposed with some politicians who later inspired him to join the public office.

It took two days since the mayor was killed before she had the courage to view her husband’s body. She said she felt so much anger and bitterness.

“We know that politics is dirty yet he spent most of his time in Agno to serve the people and what he got in return were four bullets in his body,” she said, quoting their son, Arthur Jr. who spoke at the vigil.

Mrs. Cabantac works at the NHA and lives with their children in Quezon City. During weekdays, the family had to contend with communicating with him via text messaging or phone calls, a situation she said that their children are sad about but nonetheless have expressed support for his mission in Agno town.

Their daughter, Angelica Grace also said that if the people of Agno are sad because they lost a good mayor, they, his children, lost a very good father.

The family members said they were also comforted by the sight of long lines of people condoling with them, sobbing as they viewed the mayor’s remains.

“He was loved by his constituents,” the daughter said.

The mayor normally spent the weekend with his family except that fateful weekend when he was gunned down while playing mahjong with some friends.

The mayor, a civil engineer, spent 33 years in the NHA and sought his retirement in Agno. -#

Share your Comments or Reactions

comments

Powered by Facebook Comments