Cavite court orders arrest of ex-mayor De Sagun in 2018 Lubigan slay

Seven years after the killing of former Trece Martires City Vice Mayor Alex Lubigan, the Regional Trial Court (RTC) has issued a warrant of arrest against former Mayor Melencio “Jun” de Sagun and four others in connection with the crime.

De Sagun, alleged to be the mastermind, is facing charges of murder and frustrated murder along with Melandres de Sagun, Melandro de Sagun, Adrian dela Cruz, and Luis Abad Jr.

Trece Martires City Mayor Gemma Lubigan, the widow of the slain vice mayor, welcomed the long-awaited court order in a social media post. She urged the accused to face the charges head-on.

“Kung naninindigan silang inosente, sa hukuman nila ito patunayan at hindi sa pag-iwas,” she wrote.

Lubigan and his driver, Romulo Guillemer, were gunned down in 2018. Both were declared dead on the spot, while two of Lubigan’s aides were hospitalized.

Authorities earlier pointed to political rivalry as the primary motive, as the late vice mayor was reportedly planning to challenge De Sagun’s wife for the mayoralty at the time.

De Sagun has since vehemently denied involvement, dismissing the statements of the witness as hearsay and unreliable.

Meanwhile, the gunman in the ambush was arrested in Antipolo, Rizal, in 2023.