Incumbent Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Paz Radaza (second from left) and her husband, former mayor Arturo Radaza (3rd from left) deny during a press briefing any involvement in the shooting attack of Chan’s supporter, Cesar Siaton, who died later in the hospital. | Futch Anthony Inso
LAPU-LAPU CITY, Philippines — Incumbent Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Paz Radaza and her husband, former congressman and former mayor Arturo Radaza, have formally requested the Lapu-Lapu City Police Office (LCPO) to conduct an autopsy to Cesar Siaton.
Siaton was a supporter of Pajo Barangay Captain and mayoralty aspirant Junard “Ahong” Chan, who was shot and killed by two unknown assailants on a motorcycle, late evening on April 27 during a campaign sortie.
Read more: Campaign leader of Lapu mayoral candidate shot after barangay sortie
Arturo, who also seeks for the mayoralty post on May 13 elections, addressed the letter, dated May 2, to Police Colonel Limuel Obon, Lapu-Lapu City Police Office director.
“Mr. Chan have maliciously referred to the Radazas being involved in the untimely death of the late Mr. Siaton. We categorically deny any involvement as we condemn this cowardly act,” the letter read.
Radaza said that the family of Siaton had already agreed on the move.
“Niduol namo ang pamilya ni Siaton, looy tawn kaayo, gigamit ra’g pamolitika. Way kalibutan pero ako silang gitambagan nga neutral lang sila ug ayaw pag-take sides,” Arturo said.
(The family of Siaton approached us. We pitied them because they were used in politics. They did not know anything about this, and I told them to just be neutral about this and not to take sides.)
Read more: Lapu-Lapu City hospital is under investigation — Radaza
The camp of Radaza wants to know the trajectory, entry and exit point of the bullet that hit Siaton.
“Kay makita nimo sa video, naghigda si Siaton unya naay bandage iyang tiyan. Unya, nganong wala may buslot iyang senina ug nganong wala man nagkadugo?” he added.
(We saw in the video that Siaton was lying down with a bandaged stomach. Then, why is there no hole on his shirt and why was there no blood on it?)
In an earlier interview with Obon, he said that he already ordered the chief of Police Station 3 to conduct an autopsy of Siaton.
Arturo claimed that only when they were going up against Chan in the elections, that alleged death threats, alleged ambush plots and other alleged violence happened.
None of these have happened in 2013 and 2016 elections, where the Radazas are going against Jun Pelaez and Rolando Patalingjug for the mayoralty race.
“Dili katingad-an, kay member sa dramatic guild si Ahong,” he said.
(It’s not a mystery because he is a member of the dramatic guild.)
Chan, earlier said that he could not afford sacrificing someone’s life so that he could gain political advancement.
He even appealed to other candidates to observe a clean, honest and violent-free elections. /dbs