Cagayan mayor slain while campaigning
TUGUEGARAO CITY—Reelectionist Mayor Joel Ruma of Rizal town in Cagayan province died in a gun attack while he was campaigning in Barangay Illuru Sur on Wednesday night, just over two weeks before the May 12 elections.
Ruma, a lawyer, was addressing his supporters at the barangay gymnasium when an unspecified number of armed men, using rifles and handguns, opened fire at 9:30 p.m., according to Police Brig. Gen. Antonio Marallag Jr., Cagayan Valley regional police director.
The mayor, his aide Merson Abiguebel and a resident identified as Melanie Talay were taken to the Tuao District Hospital in nearby Tuao town. Doctors failed to revive Ruma, while Abiguebel and Talay remained in critical condition on Thursday.
A 5.56-millimeter bullet, typically used in assault rifles, was later recovered in the crime scene, although investigators have not confirmed the type of firearms used in the attack.
Police Maj. Sharon Mallillin, spokesperson for the Cagayan Valley police, said investigators were still verifying conflicting accounts from witnesses.
“No definite information has been established if the gunmen stormed inside the barangay gymnasium,” Mallillin said in a telephone interview.
“Some witnesses told police that picture-taking was ongoing when the shooting occurred, while others claimed that it happened after a dance number,” she said.
Mallillin confirmed that the bullet that killed Ruma entered his right shoulder and exited through his upper to mid-back area, suggesting a high-velocity shot consistent with a military-grade weapon.
Authorities have launched a region-wide pursuit against the suspects who have yet to be identified.
Marallag said checkpoints had been set up across Cagayan province.
“We strongly condemn this brutal attack, especially during this election period,” Marallag said in a briefing. “We will not stop until justice is served. We urge the public to come forward with any information that may help us identify and arrest those responsible.”
Police Capt. Sheila Joy Fronda, spokesperson for the Cagayan police, said a special task group had been formed to speed up the investigation of Ruma’s murder.
Calls for justice
Vice Mayor Brenda Ruma, the slain mayor’s wife, appealed for privacy as their family mourns. She asked the public to await the results of the police investigation.
Ruma’s supporters took to social media to express outrage and sorrow.
“It’s hard to put into words the anger and grief we feel after losing our beloved mayor. We didn’t just lose a leader—we lost a beacon of hope,” said Rizal resident Ermelyn Ligas.
Ruma’s nephew, Michael, shared the community’s sentiments, saying, “The flame you lit has become a raging fire. Your supporters’ hearts burn for justice.”
Ruma, running under the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC), was seeking reelection in a three-way race against retired Philippine Air Force general Ralph Mamauag of the Christian Muslim Democrats (CMD) and Florence Littaua of the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP).
Legal troubles
It remained uncertain whether Vice Mayor Ruma, also with the NPC and seeking reelection, will continue her candidacy against Councilor Pastor “Boyet” Ligas Jr. (Lakas-CMD) and Edilberto Jose Jr. (PFP).
The slain mayor defeated Mamauag in the 2022 mayoral election with 5,746 votes to Mamauag’s 4,405, despite facing legal troubles then.
Mayor Ruma was arrested in April 2022 by operatives of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in Quezon City for a murder charge linked to the killing of Councilor Alfredo Alvarez in 2018. He had been in hiding but was eventually arrested and later released after the case was dismissed.
Alvarez was killed in an ambush near his house in the provincial capital, Tuguegarao City. His son identified the gunmen as Ruma’s security aides, based on security camera footage. Ruma and his alleged accomplices were charged in 2019.
Ruma was a target of at least two assassination attempts.
In 2019, armed men ambushed his convoy in Piat, Cagayan, killing Eunice Mallorca, the wife of his aide. Mallorca’s husband, their son and another aide were wounded, but Ruma, who was in a separate vehicle, was unharmed.
In 2013, Ruma, then also serving as mayor, survived an ambush on his way to a community meeting.
Election-related violence and political attacks, including the killings of several officials in Isabela and Cagayan, have been recorded in the Cagayan Valley region since the early 2000s.
Among the high-profile victims were Florante Raspado, a former three-term mayor of Jones, Isabela, who was slain in 2015 while preparing for a mayoral comeback, and former Jones Mayor Jesus Sebastian Sr., who was gunned down in 2002.
Also among the region’s officials slain were Maconacon, Isabela Mayor Erlinda Domingo, who was gunned down in Quezon City in January 2013, and former Lasam, Cagayan mayors Marjorie Apil-Salazar and Eduardo Asuten, who were attacked in February 2021 while they were serving as town councilors.
