Cops still facing blank wall in Surigao Mayor’s ambush

SURIGAO CITY – Authorities are still facing a blank wall in their probe into the slay try on a Surigao del Norte Town mayor last Monday, a police official said. Senior Supt. Emmanuel Talento, provincial director of the Surigao del Norte Police, said they are looking at several possible motives behind the attack on Tagana-an Mayor Cesar Diaz, who was unhurt in the attack. [See story: Surigao del Norte mayor survives ambush] “We have mobilized all our intelligence assets to check on several angles and possible motives in the attack – including politics, communist rebels' activities, and other armed groups or hired assassins," Talento said. Talento admitted they are also looking a possible business feud angle. As a businessman, Diaz owns dump trucks-for-hire for use at mining sites in the province. An initial police investigation showed that unidentified men shot twelve times the vehicle of Diaz, who was on his way to Surigao City. The attack occurred at the boundary of Barangays Laurel (Tagana-an town) and Union (Dapa town) at 11:20 a.m. Diaz was unhurt as his escort managed to fire back on the attackers. Wounded during the incident were Diaz’s daughter Carmen Andrea and his police escort, PO2 Anthony Pontevedra. This is not the first time that a Tagana-an mayor figured in a shooting incident. In 2001, then Tagana-an Mayor Victor Elipe was shot dead by members of the New People’s Army during a meeting in one of the barangays there. — Ben Serrano/Karlitos Brian Decena/LBG, GMA News