The two-day standoff at the house of reelectionist Pilar, Abra Vice Mayor Jaja Josefina Disono ended yesterday afternoon, with the local official turning over 12 male employees as well as 14 firearms to the police.
Police forces earlier cordoned the house of Disono following Tuesday’s shootout that ensued after her bodyguards ignored a police checkpoint at the town center.
PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo said the men inside the van sought refuge at Disono’s residence after the gunfight.
Disono’s camp said the 14 different kinds of firearms, which will be subjected to ballistics tests, were all registered and licensed.
Fajardo said the incident occurred at around 10:30 a.m. Tuesday when the vehicle carrying Disono and her security escorts refused to stop at a checkpoint, which resulted in a chase.
She said the checkpoint was established after the police received intelligence information on the existence of a private armed group in the area.
Fajardo said the vehicle, when it sped off, hit two cops and its occupants started firing at the police.
Killed in the shootout was Sandee Boy Bermudo, one of Disono’s security aides.
Fajardo said investigators were given access to the deceased person only Tuesday night for the conduct of an autopsy investigation and paraffin test.
She said a 9mm firearm, registered under Disono, was also recovered from the vehicle.
Fajardo said Disono, sister of incumbent town mayor Mark Somera, had not availed herself of any exemption from the election gun ban for her to be allowed to carry firearms outside of her residence.
She added that the incident might be considered an election-related incident.
