By Marilyn Galang | Philippine News Agency
CABANATUAN CITY, Nueva Ecija – Twenty-four people, five of them wounded, were arrested in an alleged encounter between the security forces of reelectionist Mayor Isidro Pajarillaga and his rival, former Mayor Virgilio Bote, in Purok Gulod in Barangay Concepcion, Gen. Tinio town in this province at about 11:30 p.m. Saturday, May 7.
The names of the suspects were not immediately disclosed.
In a report to the provincial headquarters, town police chief Capt. Ronan James Eblahan said five of the arrested persons who got wounded were civilian security personnel of Bote while the 19 belong to Pajarillaga.
Eblahan said police forces were conducting checkpoints when they received information about the shooting incident.
“Upon the arrival of the responding officers, they saw one white Nissan Navarra and gray Ford Raptor both penetrated with multiple gunshots and five wounded personnel of mayoralty candidate Bote,” he said in a report.
A further search of the place was conducted where a pickup truck yielded five M16 rifles, 11 .45 caliber pistols, three 9mm pistols, one caliber .40 pistol, and one 12-gauge shotgun, police said.
Also found in the vicinity of the place of the encounter were one 12-gauge shotgun and one .45 caliber pistol, 71 cal 5.56 live ammunition, 138 cal .45 live ammunition, 41 cal 9mm live ammunition, 12 cal .40 live ammunition, eight shotgun live ammunition, six magazines for the M16 rifle, 26 magazines for pistols, and eight holsters.
The investigation is ongoing.
Meanwhile, the wounded were brought to a hospital in this city. (PNA) – gb
