Prosecutor’s house strafed in Pangasinan

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan — A group of unidentified armed men riding in tandem on a motorcycle strafed the house of the Deputy Provincial Prosecutor of Pangasinan in Barangay B, Tayug town, before dawn Wednesday

Fortunately, Deputy Provincial Prosecutor Noel Bince and members of his family were not hurt in the shooting which happened while they were fast asleep in their respective rooms.

Probers who responded at the scene said an M-16 was used in the strafing as proven by five slugs lifted at the porch and the bullet holes in the family’s Hyundai van.

Police said that prior to the incident, an armed man shot a streetlight in front of a Shell gasoline station just across the street from Bince’s house.

A SanTrans bus inspector said he spotted the armed man who shot at the lamppost.

He told probers he was positive that the gunman was the same perpetrator of the shooting of Bince’s house.

Probers said the motorcycle-riding tandem were quick to flee the scene after the strafing around 4 a.m.

Bince said he is convinced it is related to one or several sensitive cases he is handling in eastern Pangasinan.

The deputy provincial prosecutor said this was the second attack by unidentified armed men at his house.

The first was in December, 2005 when suspects fired at his van, wounding his son Noel in the left leg.

Investigators said they were digging deep into yesterday’s incident and may review a number of the cases handled by Bince to establish the motive in the attack and identify a probable suspect.