2 dead, 4 hurt in rampage in Bulacan mayor's office

GUIGUINTO, Bulacan– A long-time bodyguard of this town’s mayor was gunned down after he went into a rampage and shot the municipal legal officer and three others in the mayor’s office afternoon of August 9.

Senior Supt. Fernando Mendez, acting provincial police director, said municipal legal officer Edwin Cerezo died while being treated for a gunshot wound Tuesday night.

Mendez said Cerezo was at the lobby of the office of Mayor IsaganiPascual when
DaniloBana, a long-time bodyguard of the mayor, started shooting.

Before he ran amuck, Bana had an altercation with other bodyguards of the mayor, police said.

Bana was himself gunned down after wounding Cerezo and three others, including a policeman.

As a result of the incident, municipal employees were immediately sent home to give way to the investigation, while classes in three nearby schools were cancelled.

Mayor Isagani Pascualsaid PO1 Michael Mendoza; Eduardo Pregino, the mayor’s personal security aide and a certain Jonjon, a visitor at the mayor’s office were wounded during the attack.

All of them were rushed to the BulacanPolymedic Hospital in Barangay Tabang here where they were given first aid, and immediately underwent surgical operation.

In a press conference, Pascual said he had no idea why Bana went berserk and started firing his gun.

He said the shooting started at around 3:30 p.m., but municipal employees and other sources said it began at 3 p.m. and lasted for about five minutes.

Pascual was in his office, just a few meters away from the scene of the shooting, separated only by a glass door.

He said Mendoza, though wounded, rushed to him and told him to duck on the floor until Bana was neutralized.

It was not immediately known how many gunshot wounds Bana suffered, as police officers prevented journalists from entering the mayor’s office while waiting for police.