Cebu mayoralty bet shot dead in Cebu

By Ronron
May 2, 2007

A mayoralty bet in Cebu province was shot dead on Wednesday morning in Cebu City by a lone gunman, police said.

The victim was identified as Rogelio Ilustrisimo, Sr., 59, a candidate for Mayor in Sta. Fe town in the northern tip of the province.

Ilustrisimo had just attended a hearing at the Provincial Commission on Elections (Comelec) office at the Cebu Provincial Capitol in Cebu City when he was shot dead at around 10:38 am by an unidentified man.

“There is a disqualification case against him and it is being heard at the Comelec office,” Sr. Supt. Arturo Evangelista, Chief of the Region 7 Police Operations and Plans Division, said by phone.

Evangelista said Ilustrisimo, who is an incumbent councilor in Sta. Fe, sustained two gunshot wounds, causing his instantaneous death.

Empty shells and slug for a caliber 45 were recovered at the crime scene, according to Evangelista.

The suspect, meanwhile, managed to escape on foot but left his pair of sunglasses, cigarette lighter, and cigarette at the scene.

“There is already a cartographic sketch of the suspect, and our investigators are now following up some clues that would lead to his identification and arrest,” Evangelista said.

Evangelista said police is very inclined to believe that the incident is politically motivated, given the fact that the victim is a political candidate and he died during the election period.

Evangelista identified the opponent of Ilustrisimo as Domingo Zaspa, but refused to immediately tag him as a possible suspect.

He pointed out though that Zaspa is the complainant in the pending case against Ilustrisimo at the Comelec, the nature of which Evangelista could no longer elaborate citing lack of knowledge.

Evangelista said the killing of Ilustrisimo is the first election-related violent incident to happen in Cebu City./DMS