STO. DOMINGO, Nueva Ecija – The president of this town’s Association of Barangay Captains (ABC), known to be an ally of the Josons, escaped death when a bomb was lobbed at his residential compound here early morning yesterday.
Senior Superintendent Napoleon Taas, provincial police director, said the subject of the bomb attack, Sto. Domingo ABC president Guillermo Bernardo, was unhurt.
Taas, however, could not say if the attack was politically motivated.
Police said Bernardo was not around when the bomb exploded at around 3:30 a.m. yesterday in Barangay San Francisco.
Initial reports said the explosion shattered the window shield of a Honda Civic parked inside Taas’ compound, but the information turned out to be false, police said.
Senior Inspector Nicasio Malazzab, Sto. Domingo police chief, said operatives of the PNP Crime Laboratory were still trying to determine the type of bomb used in the attack.
He said they were still trying to establish the identity of the assailant.
Police were also investigating reports that an old Pajero was seem heading toward the town proper immediately after the incident.
The bombing came on the heels of the killings last month of Roy Malijana and Michael Pritanio, both bodyguards of Dr. Raymund Sarmiento, head of the provincial action and monitoring office.
Sarmiento is a known close ally of Nueva Ecija Gov. Aurelio Umali.