POLICE are still facing a blank wall on the strafing incident Sunday night, May 8, 2022, in San Fernando, Cebu.
Police Major Efren de la Cruz Diaz, chief of the San Fernando Police Station, said they could not say yet whether the incident was election-related and they have not identified any person involved yet.
“Nega pa for the suspects and victims,” said Diaz in an interview Monday, May 9, 2022.
The strafing incident happened late Sunday, May 8, in Sitio Baysa, Barangay Panadtaran, San Fernando, Cebu.
Diaz and his men responded to the area after receiving a report about it.
Initial investigation revealed that three sports utility vehicles (SUV) arrived in the area minutes before the strafing incident.
Residents said they heard gunshots and saw some men onboard the three vehicles scampering to safety.
Diaz said when they arrived in Sitio Baysa, only two vehicles -- Nissan Navara with plate number GCS 1894 and a black Toyota Fortuner with plate number 3493 -- were left in the area.
The Fortuner was peppered with bullets.
As of Monday morning, May 9, no one has claimed ownership yet of the vehicles, which were placed under the custody of police.
San Fernando town, in 2019 elections, was identified by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) as an election hotspot following a series of killings involving local officials, among them was the husband of incumbent and reelectionist Mayor Lakambini “Neneth” Reluya.
Reluya survived an ambush, which happened in January 2019 in Talisay City, Cebu, but her husband, Ricardo, and two other aides died in the incident.
The Comelec this year has identified San Fernando as one of the seven areas in Cebu that have been considered “areas of concern” due to political rivalry, history of election-related violence, and geographical location.
The other six are Madridejos, Daanbantayan, Bogo City, and the towns of Poro, Tudela and San Francisco in Camotes Island. (BBT/REV/LMY)