Wife of Murdered Candidate Wins Via Landslide

 By Mortz C. Ortigoza

I bumped into DZRH radio reporter Freddie Fajardo in Binmaley today. I asked him how did the wife of the late assassinated Arnel Adolfo Flormata, 41, fare against reelectionist Brgy. Bayaoas, Aguilar Chairwoman Maria Magnolia Repascol Gelido, 58, in the last October 30 village election.

“Mga 80 percent versus 20 percent ang boto na nakuha ni misis ni Flormata,” Freddie, a Batangueno who married a San Carlenian, quipped.

For those who did not know the grisly fate of Flormata in October 22, 2023, Kelly Doroy Rosario, 54 – a chief tanod (watchman) of Barangay Dorongan Punta in Mangatarem – shot to death the former when he was going to his car to change his shirt near midnight during a night rally in Brgy. Bayaoas. Jason Marquez Vicente, 32 - the driver of the getaway motorized tricycle – I wrote in my October 27 column/blog’s Kapitana Hires Tanod to Kill Her Rival ratted on Punong Barangay Gelido and Rosario as the principals by induction and direct participation on that murder case. Both the culprits have been detained in a slammer without bail.

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I asked Freddie if Vicente was exposed after the police backed track the footages of the closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras on the possible routes the absconding vehicle passed by.

“Hindi. Kusang sumurender sa police iyong tricycle driver kasi nakunsensiya. Ang alam niya mangugulo lang si Rosario sa rally ni Flormata . E iba ang ginawa pinatay niya”.

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Freddie and I both agreed that Vicente surrendered himself to the cops because he could be implicated on that murder case from the long arm of the law and could be thrown in the brig without a bail too since murder is punishable by life sentence even to those who cooperates by indispensable participation.

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Even during the wake of Flormata, his wife a Department of Education teacher with a senior rank of Master Teacher-1 vacillated to be the candidate in lieu of her husband. But she acquiesced to the prodding of the people of the village to accede thus two days before the burial she filed her candidacy.

Flormata used to be the Treasurer of Gelido. He became a supervisor of the high paying Aboitiz’s conglomerate on its solar enterprise in Aguilar. He was too popular with the people there that probably made Gelido - a butch or tomboy - became insecured.

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The killer – who ran and lost for a kagawad post in Barangay Dorongan Punta, Mangatarem - is the younger brother of Blas Rosario - the assassin of Masbate Congressman Tito Espinosa in February 28, 1995 in Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City, according to Freddie.

“Blas is now in Muntinlupa serving his prison time,” Freddie added.

Three of the co-accused of Blas - Masbate Gov. Antonio Kho, Uson town Vice Mayor Arnel Quidato and Roberto Pidlaoan were acquitted in that murder trial by Regional Trial Court
Judge Ma. Theresa Yadao in June 14, 2006.

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Brgy. Bayaos in Aguilar was known to be a situs of massive illegal quarrying.

 When Flormata was killed and Kapitana Gelido was arrested and jailed, many of her supporters defected to the camp of the deceased.