SAN SIMON -- The house and car of an aspiring vice-mayor in this town were riddled with bullets by still unidentified assailants in Barangay Concepcion here on Thursday evening, September 13.
The unidentified gunmen peppered the front gate and black pick-up of businessman Engr. Migz Yambao an hour after he came home from an appointment at the town plaza around 10 p.m.
Yambao is engaged in a construction business based in Laguna and has been vocal of his plan to seek the vice-mayor post of this fourth district town in the coming 2019 elections under the ticket of mayoralty aspirant Engr. Abundio “Jun” Punsalan Jr.
Yambao said the gunmen unloaded full magazines from high-powered firearms after several gunshot holes were seen at his house’s front gate and pierced through the side of his car parked behind the gate.
“I just came inside the house and was taking a rest when I heard gunshots. I thought they killed somebody near my house, so I went out but my cousin was rushing in and told me not to go out but I still did and saw that the gunshots were directed to my house,” Yambao said.
Yambao’s cousin, Rolando, who was allegedly resting at the house’s terrace, sustained a gunshot on his nose during the ambush.
“It was the first time I experienced this. I was afraid and also alarmed because there were already five residents of Concepcion who were gunned down and the suspects are still not arrested or even identified until now,” he said.
Yambao was referring to the death of former Association of Barangay Captains president and mayoralty aspirant Sonny Simbulan, former town councilor Emelito Yambao and three other residents of Barangay Concepcion.
Yambao pointed at the lack of police visibility in Barangay Concepcion, a far-flung village at the eastern part of San Simon, which resulted in killings in their area.
“We have been requesting for a police station or regular conduct of checkpoints from the police but there was no response from their side. Their visibility is very essential to ensure our safety here in Barangay Concepcion and we are still hoping that they will soon heed our call,” he said.
Meanwhile, Yambao said that no witnesses or closed circuit television camera were able to capture the incident or identify the suspects, but he said the perpetrators were onboard a blue car and sped away toward Barangay San Juan in this town.
Chief Inspector Louie Gonzaga, the town police chief, said the local police are conducting monitoring activities and follow-up operations for the possible identification of the suspects.
However, Gonzaga said the police cannot properly push through with the case since Yambao and his family are still not filing a formal case.
“There was no formal complaint filed by the family so we cannot push through with the case but nonetheless, we will continue to implement maximum monitoring activities,” he said.
Gonzaga also vowed to increase police presence in Barangay Concepcion, as well as regular conduct of checkpoints except during severe weather conditions to ensure the safety of policemen.
Meanwhile, Punsalan, who immediately came to the rescue of his runningmate, condemned the “grisly attack” perpetrated by gunmen against “a person who only wishes good for his hometown and fellow Simonians.”
“I have known Engr. Migz Yambao to be always in service of his fellow Simonians, with or without a government position. And now that he has proclaimed his goal to run for vice-mayor under my ticket, it is very saddening that he would experience this,” he said.
Both Yambao and Punsalan have pointed at politics as the motive in the said attack, which they said aims to threaten and generate fear on Yambao, his family and other political aspirants under the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas led by Punsalan.