By FREDDIE G. LAZARO
CAMP FLORENDO, Parian, San Fernando City, La Union – Philippine National Police Ilocos director Chief Supt. Romulo E. Sapitula has ordered the creation of a Special Investigation Task Group that will conduct an in-depth investigation on the killing of Balaoan, La Union Vice Mayor Alfred Concepcion the other day.
Sapitula said the SITG “Concepcion” will do its best to determine the possible motives of the killing and identify and arrest the perpetrators. He also assured the release of progress reports on the case at the soonest possible time.
La Union Gov. Francisco Emannuel “Pacoy” Ortega III condemned the incident in front of the Balaoan Elementary School on the Balaoan-Luna Provincial Road in Barangay Cabu-aan which also killed Concepcion’s bodyguard Micheal Ulep and wounded daughter, Balaoan Mayor Aleli Concepcion, and six others.
“We strongly condemn this barbaric act and we are saddened by the killing of Vice Mayor Alfred and Michael Ulep,” said Ortega.
“As chairman of the Provincial Peace and Order Council, I directed the La Union Police Provincial Office headed by Senior Supt. Ricardo G. Layug Jr. to immediately conduct an investigation, Deputy Regional Director for Operations Adolfo Samala who likewise created the ‘Special Intelligence Task Group Concepcion’ to resolve the incident the soonest,” Ortega said.
Sapitula said the vehicles of Mayor Concepcion and Vice Mayor Concepcion and the motorcycle of Ulep were on their way to the municipal hall when gunmen onboard a Toyota RAV 4 Sports Utility Vehicle with no license plates appeared and opened fire at them.
The Concepcions and Ulep were taken to the Balaoan District Hospital and Lorma Medical Center in San Fernando City. Vice Mayor Concepcion and Ulep were declared dead on arrival.
Chief Insp. Silverio Ordinado Jr., La Union police information officer, said that the gunmen’s vehicle was found abandoned on the San Gabriel-San Juan road in Barangay Nadsaag, San Juan, La Union Wednesday.
“It was confirmed the vehicle was used as their getaway ride,” Ordinado said based on the closed circuit television camera footage obtained from the school.
