CALAPAN CITY—A leader of the opposition United Nationalist Alliance died after he shot dead a gunman who tried to waylay him in the town of Bansud in Oriental Mindoro province.
Bansud police chief Marfredo Dulatre identified the victim as Jimmy Gayeta San Jose, 44, an active UNA leader of Bansud mayoral candidate Dr. Mike Soller, who is running against Liberal Party candidate, former provincial administrator Angel Saulong.
Dulatre said San Jose was on board his motorcycle and was on his way home when a gunman, later identified as Isaias Malla, fired and hit him twice with a .9-millimeter cal. pistol.
However, San Jose was able to draw his 45 cal. pistol and returned fire, hitting Malla four times and killing him instantly. But San Jose eventually died after killing his assailant.
Dulatre said Malla was later determined to be a former member of the Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Units and a resident of San Jose in Occidental Mindoro.
Provincial Board Member and former Bansud mayor Butch Soller, brother of the mayoral candidate, said it was the second time an attempt was made on San Jose. Several days before the ambush yesterday, unidentified people were seen casing the house of San Jose.
Soller expressed fear that politically motivated violence may intensify and he urged the police to secure opposition candidates who are favored to win against the administration LP candidates.
The incident happened after Vice President Jejomar Binay, UNA presidential candidate, and LP administration presidential candidate Manuel Roxas staged their separate campaign rallies in Bansud town. Binay held his rally last Saturday while Roxas had his on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, an official of the Commission on Elections on Friday expressed hope that the Pilipinas Debates 2016 for vice presidential candidates will be as successful as the two previous presidential debates.
Comelec Spokesman James Jimenez said they are hopeful that the level of public interest in the forthcoming debate, which will be held at the University of Santo Tomas in Manila on Sunday, will draw similar interest as the presidential debates.
“We hope many people will watch it as many as those that watched the presidential debates. This is the first and probably only one that will be held for VP candidates. So, it’s a landmark occasion,” Jimenez said.
The vice presidential debate is set to take place at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion at 5 p.m. with all six candidates set to attend.
They are independent-running Senators Alan Peter Cayetano, Francis Escudero, Bongbong Marcos, and Antonio Trillanes, as well as Sen. Gringo Honasan of the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA), and Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo of the Liberal Party (LP).
“A lot of them are always in the shadow of those running for president. Now is the time to have them come out of their shadows and stand before the public as viable choices,” he challenged.
The vice presidential debate comes after the first two presidential debates held in Cagayan de Oro City last February 21 and in Cebu City last March 20.
On April 24, on the other hand, the third and final presidential debates will take place in Dagupan City.