Mayor Carlos survives assassination attempt?

Valenzuela City re-electionist Mayor Jose Emmanuel "Bobbit" Carlos survived in an alleged assassination attempt by an unidentified man who reportedly aimed a gun at him during a campaign sortie early yesterday morning, the police said.

Investigation showed that the incident happened at around 9:30 a.m. along Bautista Street, Purok 4, Barangay, Mapulang lupa, Valenzuela.

Carlos, who is running for his third and last term in office, was on board an open Elf van for a campaign motorcade when one of his bodyguards, Rogaciano Santos, saw a man aiming a gun at the mayor some fifteen meters away. Santos immediate pulled Carlos down and covered the mayor with his body.

The suspect, who witnesses said could be between 28-30 years old and was dressed in a white shirt, dark colored vest, and dark pants, fled to a nearby residential compound owned by one Lerio Guiao. Carlos’ bodyguards chased after the suspect but the man eluded arrest.

Valenzuela City Chief of Police Superintendent Nemesio Neron ordered a manhunt of the suspect.

Meeting with members of the press a few hours after the incident, Carlos denounced the alleged harassment aimed at him.

The incident came at the wake of the discovery of hundreds of letters the other day at the city’s Post Office addressed to Valenzuela residents telling them to boycott the May 14 elections and warned them of violence.

Carlos said he doubted that the letters came from the communist rebel group, as the NPA has not made any announcements that they would boycott the elections. The mayor pointed out that the recipients of the letters were his known supporters.

"It was clearly meant to disenfranchise my supporters," he said.

Asked who could be behind the harassment, Carlos said, without naming names, that they could very well be the handiwork of his closest political rival. – Jerry Botial