Pampanga mayor wounded in ambush; aide killed

MASANTOL, Pampanga — Central Luzon police director Chief Superintendent Alejandro Lapinid ordered a massive manhunt for a police officer who was identified as one of the masterminds in the ambush that wounded this town’s Mayor Peter Flores and killed his security aide PO4 Nick Yabut yesterday.

Lapinid said Flores’ driver Rolando Manalang was also wounded while the mayor’s wife, Librada, was unhurt.

Local police head Chief Inspector Ferdinand Perez said two of the three suspects were arrested three minutes after the ambush. He identified the suspects as Jesus Manalo, 22, a welder; and Jefferson Perez, 23, a pedicab driver, both of Barangay San Pedro Cutud in San Fernando City. A third suspect was able to escape but has been identified by his companions.

Flores was hit in his right abdomen but was reported to be out of danger, police said.

Lapinid told The Star that Manalo and Perez pointed to Chief Inspector George "Bar" Bustos, a policeman stationed at the regional headquarters, as the mastermind. Bustos is allegedly the brother of Vice Mayor George "Jay" Bustos.

"That policeman has long been wanted and is facing summary dismissal proceedings after his service firearm was found to have been used by a criminal group in a holdup incident some months ago," Lapinid said.

The suspects, however, did not link the vice mayor himself to the ambush.

But Lapinid also said that he had informed President Arroyo, who called him up about the incident, that the ambush seemed politically motivated. He declined to give more details, saying he would call for a press conference at Camp Olivas today.

Perez said the ambush occurred in Sitio Sapang Marimla in Barangay Bebe Anac here while Flores and his companions were on their way home in his red Toyota Land Cruiser at around 12:20 a.m. The mayor has just attended a fund-raising party at the town plaza.

Their vehicle had passed a bridge in Sitio Sapang Marimla when the ambushers, who had positioned themselves behind trees on both sides of the road, fired their 9mm. and caliber .45 pistols at the passengers, Perez said.

Two bullets pierced the car’s left window and another four entered the right window. While Flores and his wife were unhurt at the back seat, Yabut, who was seated in front, was pronounced dead on arrival at the Mt. Carmel Hospital here after sustaining bullet wounds in the neck and stomach while Manalang sustained wounds in his face although he was later pronounced out of danger.