Day 2 of gun ban: 5 killed, councilor hurt in ambush

MANILA, Philippines - At least five persons were killed in separate incidents in Isabela, Kalinga and Batangas provinces on the second day of the gun ban imposed by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in the runup to the Oct. 28 barangay elections.

Kalinga police director Senior Superintendent John Colinio identified one of the fatalities as Carlito Mercado, 55, a resident of Purok 4 in Tabuk City.

Reports said the victim was changing a flat tire of his vehicle along the road in Purok 6, Barangay Bulanao when gunmen on a motorcycle shot him. Two shells of a caliber .45 pistol were recovered at the scene.

In Alicia, Isabela, an unidentified man sneaked into the bedroom of Marianito Santiago, 58, an employee of the National Irrigation Administration, and shot him in the nape.

In Binguang, San Pablo town, police have launched a manhunt for Apolinario Malayao, who shot dead Redentor Datul Mana, 48, during a poker game.

Meanwhile, a policeman was killed and a former police officer was wounded in a gunfight with unidentified armed men near a cockpit arena in Batangas City.

PO1 Wily Hernandez died while being treated at the Nazarete Hospital while Melvin Talabis is in critical condition at the same hospital.

One of the armed men, who remained unidentified, was also killed.

Senior Inspector Dwight Forte, Batangas police spokesman, said Hernandez and Talabis were shot as they emerged from the cockpit following an anti-drug surveillance operation.

Meanwhile, Councilor Stewart de Cruz of Marcos, Ilocos Norte was wounded when unidentified armed men shot him repeatedly while he was driving his Starex van on his way home from his farm.

De Cruz suffered bullet wounds in the legs.

Ten shells of an M16 rifle were recovered at the scene.

2 nabbed

In San Carlos City, Pangasinan, PO1 Dick Curaming, 31, a resident of Sta. Isabel Subdivision, Barangay Taloy was nabbed for carrying a firearm at the 3Gs Restobar Saturday night.

Lawmen conducting Oplan Bakal/Sita seized from Curaming a caliber .45 pistol, one magazine and eight bullets.

In the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, Dimaronsing Mibayao Boriongan, a member of the security group of the University of Southern Mindanao in Marawi City, was arrested at a police checkpoint for carrying an unlicensed caliber .45 pistol.

Cases for violation of Republic Act 8294 in relation to the Comelec gun ban were filed against Curaming and Boriongan. – Artemio Dumlao, Raymund Catindig, Eva Visperas, John Unson, Ed Amoroso