By Ariel Avendano

DIPACULAO, Aurora - A former vice-mayor, his wife and his driver were killed when they were ambushed by still unidentified assailants in Barangay Dibutunan at 5:10 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 3.

Town police chief Major Eduardo Mendoza, Jr. identified the victims as Engineer Narciso Amansec, 60, his wife Merlina Amansec, 61, and Leonard Talosa, 42, all of Barangay Ipil in this town.

Probers are still establishing the escape route of the suspects as the ambush took place in a secluded road section.

Investigation disclosed that the victims who were on board a color maroon pick-up truck were negotiating the Baler-Casiguran road heading toward the north direction when they were fired upon by their attackers at close range.

The fatalities were declared dead-on-the-spot by Dr. Arturo Parilla, town health officer of Dipaculao while the vehicle were riddled with bullets fired from still undetermined weapons by the gunmen The police provincial office has already ordered the creation of a Special Investigation Task Group to track the suspects' identities and their immediate arrest.

Amansec, who was engaged in a construction business, was three-termer provincial board member of Aurora from 1998 to 2007. He was then elected as vice mayor in 2007 to 2010.

After nearly retiring in politics from three unsuccessful attempts, Amansec squared it off but lost to three-termer outgoing governor Gerardo Noveras in the vice-gubernatorial race during the May 9 elections.

Expressing disbelief on Amansec's killing, Aurora Lone District Rep. Rommel Angara on his Facebook page stated that, "Mariin kong kinokondena ang walang awang pagpaslang sa isang kaalyado at kaibigan.” “Hindi maaaring kunsintihin ang anumang karahasan at kawalang katarungang kagaya nito, lalo na dito sa probinsya ng Aurora. Sana po ay ito ay agarang masolusyonan upang mabigyan ng hustisya ang mga biktima at tinatawagan ko ang ating mga law enforcement agencies na magsagawa ng mabilis at masusing imbestigasyon upang mapanagot ang lahat ng may sala,” added Rep. Angara.

In a phone interview with the Manila Bulletin, incumbent Vice Mayor Franklin Reyes said that he had a brief conversation with Amansec during the fiesta celebration of Barangay Poblacion on Sunday, a day before the former vice-mayor was gunned down.

"Parang premonition na po, kasi very unusual ang pagiging tahimik niya, pangiti-ngiti lang siya unlike before na lagi siyang nakatawa at masayahin," Reyes said.

Reyes used to work with Amansec who was then the vice-mayor and presiding officer in 2007 to 2010 while he was a town councilor.

Dominic Licad, a former liaison officer of Amansec's construction firm, described the former vice-mayor as a good boss and friend, adding that ‘for almost five years na nagtrabaho ako sa kanya hindi ko po siyang nakitang nagalit, minsan nga po sinusundo nya pa ako sa bahay pero maglalambing na pakapehin ko muna siya bago kami aalis, napakabait niyang amo.’