The bullet riddled pick-up trucks police found at the scene of the encounter. Photos by Armand M. Galang
CABANATUAN CITY – Twenty-four persons including five who were wounded were arrested after an alleged armed encounter between the security forces of mayoralty rivals in Purok Gulod, Barangay Concepcion, Gen. Tinio town at about 11:30 p.m. Saturday.
In a report to the Nueva Ecija Police Provincial Office, Gen. Tinio police chief Capt. Ronan James Eblahan said the five wounded were civilian security personnel of former mayor Virgilio Bote while the other 19 belonged to reelectionist Mayor Isidro Pajarillaga.
The names of the suspects were not immediately disclosed.
Eblahan said police forces were conducting checkpoints when they received the information about the shooting incident.
“Upon arrival of the responding officers, they saw one white Nissan Navarra and a gray Ford Raptor both penetrated with multiple gun shots and four wounded personnel of mayoralty candidate Bote,” he reported.
A search on the 19 other men found “suspiciously” beside a pick-up truck yielded five M16 rifles, 11 .45 pistols, three 9mm pistols, one .40 pistol and one 12-guage shotgun, police said.
Also found in the vicinity of the place of encounter were one 12-guage shotgun and one .45 pistol, 71 live ammos for 5.56, 138 live ammos for .45, 41 9mm live ammos, 12 live ammos for .40, eight shotgun live ammos, 6 magazines for M16 rifle, 26 magazines for pistols and eight holsters.
Investigation is still ongoing.
The wounded persons were brought to a hospital in this city.
