Killing of Cagayan mayor's daughter a case of mistaken identity - police

The killing of a Cagayan mayor's daughter on Tuesday was a case of mistaken identity, the local police told GMANews.TV on Thursday. The victim, Professor Rose Abad-Serrano, dean of the Cagayan State University in Tuguegarao City, was inside the vehicle which attackers thought belonged to their real "targets," according to Chief Inspector Edward Guzman, chief of the Buguey town police. "Ang pinakamalapit na tinitignan namin at ang pinupursue namin na anggulo ay mistaken identity [The strongest angle we are pursuing is a case of mistaken identity]," Guzman said in a phone interview. Abad-Serrano, daughter of Gonzaga mayor Rosendo Abad, was travelling along the national highway in Barangay Dalaya onboard a Mercedez Benz, along with nine other people, when four armed men attacked at about 8 p.m. of Tuesday. The 43-year-old school official died after being shot once in the head while three of her companions emerged wounded after the attack. Empty shells of an M16 rifle and a cal-45 pistol were recovered. But initial investigation showed the attack was not connected to the re-election bid of the victim's father. Police said suspects could have really been intending to shoot Apolinario Constantino, who was onboard his Starex van that was trailing the Mercedes Benz vehicle. Guzman said the suspects could have been along the highway, waiting for Constantino's vehicle to pass by before the shooting happened. "Siguro nag-overtake iyong Mercedes Benz kaya napunta siya sa unahan. Paglapit sa mga suspect, akala tuloy doon nakasakay si Constantino kasi madilim," Guzman said. [The dean's car could have overtaken Constantino's car, making the suspects think he was onboard the one in front since it was dark.] Constantino, when interviewed by police after the incident, said the attack could have been connected to his recent transfer from the camp of Liberal Party mayoral bet Gasat Umayam to that of the latter's rival for the Buguey mayoral seat, vice mayor Licerio Antiporda III. Lakas-Kampi-CMD's Antiporda is the acting mayor of Buguey since mayor Ignacio Taruc — who is supporting Umayam's candidacy — is currently "in hiding" due to a pending case. Guzman said Taruc is running for Congress in the upcoming elections. Constantino claimed to have been receiving death threats ever since he announced his support for Antiporda. "Si Antiporda daw ang nakakatulong sa kaniya (Antiporda had greatly been helping Constantino)," Guzman quoted Constantino as telling him. Authorities said the assault could not have been part of a robbery since the victims did not lose any personal belongings during the incident. Armed civilians Since the attack was a case of mistaken identity, authorities could not imediately classify it as election-related, Guzman said. "May mga parameters kasi bago natin sabihin konektado sa eleksyon [We have to observe certain parameters before declaring it connected to the polls]," he said. Guzman cited a recent election-related violence concerning two supporters from rival local parties, who shot it out with each other. One of the supporters was later found to belong to a private army of one of the local candidates in the town, the identity of whom Guzman refused to divulge. "Iyon, masasabi kagad na election-related kasi direkta [In that case, we can immediately conclude its connection to the elections]," he said. The police official said details on private armed groups in the province could not be immediately made public, pending the Philippine National Police's ongoing clamp down on private armed groups. Guzman only went as far as saying Buguey town has two private armed groups, each having at least 20 armed members. "We are targeting to dismantle the private armies here before the elections because we know these groups would be used in May," Guzman said. - GMANews.TV