CATBALOGAN CITY -- A mayoralty candidate in Samar town and his group were ambushed Monday, May 9, by armed men from the rivals’ camp, the police said.
Eastern Visayas Police Director Jose Erwin Villacorte said the group of municipal Councilor Lester Bisnar, 48, a resident of Barangay Lapaz in San Jorge town, was waylaid by armed men around 4:15 a.m. of May 9, in Barangay Aquiana, San Jorge.
Villacorte said the victims, onboard a Toyota Hi-Ace vehicle, were waylaid while on their way home.
Bisnar, a Nacionalista Party (NP) mayoral bet, and his aide Noel Jabolin, 37, were both hit on their legs but managed to drive away from the ambush site.
Responding police officers from the Special Weapons and Tactics (Swat) and San Jorge police led by Inspector Genaro Bantilo Nabual were able to apprehend the gunmen, including Stephen Grey, 30, son of Vice Mayor Joseph Grey, who is running against Bisnar in the mayoralty post under the Liberal Party.
The young Grey was also hit in his arm, but it was not clear if the victims were able to return fire before they escaped.
Two other suspects, namely, Norman Bernales, 45, barangay chairman of Mancol, and driver Emmanuel Pacampara, 33, were also arrested.
The police seized a caliber .45 pistol loaded with one live bullet from Pacampara, while four pieces of fired cartridges of caliber .45 pistol, 12 pieces of fired cartridge of M16 rifle, and four pieces of fired M14 cartridges were recovered from the crime scene.
Grey's camp was not immediately reached for comment.
The region’s top cop condemned the incident and vowed to apprehend the remaining at-large suspects.
“The PNP (Philippine National Police) guarantees the capture of other suspects and warns them of the consequences of their deliberate criminal act and other lawless elements that they will be caught and will be held accountable for the crimes committed,” Villacorte said. (Sunnex)