CEBU CITY – Police are looking into the possibility that the killing of a former mayoral candidate in Barangay Apas on New Year’s Day was business-related.
The victim, Ruben Feliciano, died on the spot while his nephew, Kim, survived the attack, which happened past 6 p.m.
Police said Feliciano and his nephew had just parked their vehicle and were walking toward Blue Garden Residences on Fulton St. when a van arrived and blocked their path.
Police said that according to witnesses, at least five armed men disembarked from the van with no license plates and repeatedly shot the victims.
Feliciano died on the spot from two bullet wounds in the body.
Feliciano’s nephew sustained minor injuries and was recuperating in a hospital, police said.
The white van sped off after the attack.
Five spent shells and five live bullets of undetermined firearm were retrieved from the crime scene.
Feliciano ran for mayor in San Fernando, Cebu in the May 2019 elections but lost to Lakambini Reluya.
Reluya got 22,294 votes while Feliciano had 15,567 votes.
It can be recalled that Reluya was ambushed in Talisay City last January 2019. Reluya survived the attack but her husband Ricardo and two municipal workers were killed.
Feliciano denied accusations that he was behind the ambush and even showed up at the Cebu Provincial Police Office to clear his name.
Although Feliciano was into politics, the police were looking into the possibility that the killing was related to his business dealings.
Police Capt. Renz Talosig, chief of the Mabolo, Cebu police station, said one of Feliciano’s business dealings was the construction of an international port in San Fernando.
Feliciano reportedly had a falling out with one of the investors that led to the postponement of the port project.
