Cops probe gun attack on Nueva Ecija mayor

SAN ANTONIO, Nueva Ecija – Police started an all-out investigation into the gun attack on Mayor Arvin Salonga of this town on Tuesday.

Col. Marvin Joe Saro, provincial police director, said investigators have gathered CCTV footage that showed some suspects firing at Salonga’s vehicle.

Salonga, who was driving the SUV, was unhurt but his aide Danny Camelo, 53, sustained a shallow gunshot wound in the neck.

Saro said he visited Salonga to ensure the local chief executive was okay.

“As of ngayon, nakakuha ng mga footages at ongoing ang investigation (As of now, we already got the footage and the investigation is ongoing),” he said.

Salonga said he was driving his SUV with Camelo at the passenger seat on their way home from San Leonardo town when they were fired upon by four persons after they crossed a bridge in Jaen town.

The place was about 300 meters from a police-manned quarantine checkpoint, he said, adding Camelo was declared out of danger.

Some of the suspects, who waited on the roadside, were wearing short pants and armed with short firearms.

Salonga, who has not employed any police security since 2016, readily discounted politics as a possible motive behind the attack, noting he ran unopposed during the last election.

“Ngayon naman ay walang nagpaparamdam at wala pang kasiguruhan (election) dahil sa pandemya (As of now, no one is hinting to run and there is no certainty about the election due to pandemic),” he said. -- PNA