The MAGSASAKA Party-list has accused members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) of attempting to assassinate their nominee, Lejun Dela Cruz, in Cainta, Rizal, on Sunday.
In a statement, the party-list described the incident as a “brazen and alarming display of political violence,” claiming that Dela Cruz was abducted, severely beaten, and is now being held in police custody under questionable circumstances.
According to MAGSASAKA Party-list general secretary and legal counsel Atty. General Du, Dela Cruz was on his way home when a man approached him, asking about real estate. Noticing a bulge at the man’s waist that suggested he was armed, Dela Cruz became suspicious. His fears grew when two armed men on motorcycles arrived nearby.
Sensing imminent danger, Dela Cruz tried to flee in his vehicle but was met with gunfire from the unidentified assailants, the party-list reported. Dela Cruz was eventually cornered at a dead-end in Barangay Manggahan, Pasig City.
The armed men then identified themselves as members of the Marikina City Police, handcuffing Dela Cruz and subjecting him to severe physical assault, the statement claimed. Atty. Du added that the officers allegedly debated whether to take Dela Cruz to the station or “kill him on the spot.”
The party-list further alleged that the police presented an outdated arrest warrant from 1992 only after firing upon and apprehending Dela Cruz.
Dela Cruz was brought to a police station three hours later. When MAGSASAKA Party-list representatives tried to intervene, they were reportedly met with aggression, with officers allegedly pointing firearms at them and preventing them from accompanying Dela Cruz.
GMA News Online reached out to the PNP and Marikina City Police for comment, but no official response has been provided as of this posting.
The MAGSASAKA Party-list condemned the incident, calling it a “grave threat to democracy and the rights of all political activists and marginalized sectors.” They demanded immediate accountability for the officers involved and a thorough investigation into the assassination attempt.