Police files raps
vs. Victoria mayor’s attackers
By RPCRD, Police Regional
Office 8
May 6, 2013
CAMP KANGLEON, Palo, Leyte –
The police have filed criminal charges on Friday against two people
tagged as responsible for a gun attack that injured a town mayor and
his son in Northern Samar.
Eastern Visayas Police
Director Police Chief Superintendent Elmer Ragadio Soria informed that
two cases of Frustrated Murder charges were filed before the Office of
the Provincial Prosecutor in Catarman, Northern Samar against Albert
Kennedy y Bolon and Precillano Aliganza y Peñaflor under NPS Docket
No. VIII-II-INQ-13E-00018.
“The suspects were
positively identified by witnesses as the assailants in the Thursday
night shooting that wounded Victoria town Mayor Jose Ardales and son
Jorge,” Soria said.
The two were tagged as
responsible for the gun attack around 8:00 Thursday evening while the
victims were crossing the pathway along San Joaquin St., Barangay Zone
1 Poblacion in Victoria town to verify a gun burst they heard from the
compound of Guillermo Jumamil, the mayor’s political opponent, that
resulted in the wounding of the elder Ardales on his neck while his
son was hit on his abdomen.
The suspects rushed inside
the compound of Jumamil, who presented the duo upon request from
police authorities, and were immediately brought to Northern Samar
Police Provincial Office for investigation.
The victims, meanwhile, are
confined at Catarman Doctor’s Hospital and are now reportedly out of
danger.
The mayor, who was
preventively suspended by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan in Northern
Samar due to an administrative case, is running for reelection under
the National Unity Party (NUP).
But despite of the incident,
the situation in Northern Samar is within manageable level, according
to Soria.
“This will not affect the
peaceful conduct of electoral proceedings in the area or in the entire
province,” he said.
A police team from the
Northern Samar Provincial Public Safety Company (NSPPSC) were
immediately augmented to Victoria Police Station on Friday while
additional one team from the Regional Pubic Safety Battalion 8 (RPSB8)
were deployed in the area aside from one section from the Army’s 803rd
Brigade.
“The augmentation is done to
prevent the occurrence of similar incident in the area as well as to
maintain peace and order as the election day draws near,” the police
regional chief added.
A total of 235 police
personnel were augmented to Northern Samar in line with PRO8’s
campaign for a secured and fair midterm elections.