By AARON RECUENCO
Unidentified gunmen strafed the convoy of the two top local officials of Balaoan town of La Union yesterday morning, killing Vice Mayor Alfred Concepcion and wounding his daughter who is the incumbent town mayor.
Aside from Concepcion, the gunmen on board a sports utility vehicle also killed his aide identified as Michael Ulep, according to Chief Supt. Romeo Sapitula, the director of the Ilocos regional police.
The incident has prompted national police chief Director General Oscar Albayalde to order an extensive manhunt against the perpetrators, including any mastermind who would be identified at the course of the investigation.
“I am confident that we will eventually get to the bottom of this case and the proverbial long arm of the law will catch up with the perpetrators,” said Albayalde in a press briefing at Camp Crame.
Concepcion’s daughter, Balaoan Mayor Aleli Concepcion, was wounded during the attack and is now in a heavily-guarded hospital.
The victims were on board two vehicles, which are also being escorted by Ulep who was riding a motorcycle as part of the security, along the Balaoan-Luna provincial road at around 8 a.m. when gunmen onboard a Toyota Rav-4 started shooting the convoy.
The vice mayor and Ulep were hit and were declared dead in the hospital where they were taken.
Following the attack, Sapitula said that a province-wide dragnet operation is underway while an all–points bulletin has been raised to all municipal police stations to possibly intercept the suspects.
“As we speak, the Provincial Mobile Force Company and SWAT of La Union are leading massive dragnet operations in the towns of Bangar, Sudipen, Bacnotan, Santol and San Juan all in La Union,” said Albayalde for his part.
The attack occurred months after the police started to prepare for the midterm elections next year. The early preparations were triggered by the series of attacks on mayors and vice mayors in the past two years.
Based on the police data, at least 18 government officials were either wounded or killed from January to December this year.
Albayalde, himself, ordered the intensified early elections security preparations in anticipation of the possible spike on the attacks on candidates and local officials.
Police are yet to determine the motive behind the attack in Balaoan town of La Union but local politics will be included in the investigation. (Aaron Recuenco)
