Motiong Vice Mayor survived ambush, wife blames politics

By ELI C. DALUMPINES (PIA Samar)
February 7, 2007

CATBALOGAN, Samar  –  The wife of Motiong Vice Mayor Francsico Langi, Sr. was convinced that politics was behind their ambush in one of the town’s interior barangays Tuesday afternoon (February 6).

Agripina Langi, the vice mayor’s wife, in an interview, said she didn’t see any reason why the communist New People’s Army (NPA) or the rightist vigilante group would do such act as she did not recall any misdeeds committed by her husband which may earn the ire of both groups.

“Wala man ‘mi atraso sa taas. Wala sad ko’y nakita nga rason nganong himoon ‘to sa maka-tuo nga grupo kay wala ma’y gihimo ang akong bana nga kontra ‘nila (We committed nothing that can offend the communist rebels. I didn’t see any reason either why the rightist group would do that since my husband did nothing against them), she said in the vernacular.

Police reports said Vice Mayor Langi and his wife were riding on a motorcycle on their way to Brgy. Inalad, Motiong’s interior barangay, to attend the graduation rites of the adult literacy class where he was invited as guest speaker when the incident happens.

According to the report, they were traversing along the Paranas-San Jose de Buan provincial road at about 3:20 p.m. of Tuesday when they were fired upon by an unidentified gunman near the vicinity of Brgy. Lokilokon, Paranas.

The vice mayor sustained gunshot wounds on his right hand and in his right shoulder but was immediately treated at the Samar Provincial Hospital. He also suffered a broken right leg after the motorcycle they were riding crushed.

His driver, identified as Jessie Dacanay, died after sustaining several gunshot wounds in the different parts of his body but his wife was left unscathed.

Langi has served as the town mayor for three term before running as vice mayor last 2004.