By Froilan Gallardo, Nitz Arancon and Edwin Iyo
NEW People’s Army (NPA) rebels ambushed a four-vehicle convoy in an outlying village in Misamis Oriental last night, hurting Gingoog Mayor Ruthie Guingona and killing three of her aides.
Guingona and her group reportedly came from Alagatan, a hinterland barangay, to crown the winner of a community beauty pageant and to campaign for candidates of the administration Liberal Party when a still undetermined number of heavily armed men sprayed their convoy with automatic gunfire as soon as they reached Barangay Kapitolongan in Gingoog City at around 10:30 pm.
Three of Guingona’s aides were reportedly killed while the mayor was rushed to a hospital in Gingoog. Guingona is the mother of Sen. Teofisto Guingona III and the wife of former Vice President Teofisto Guingona Jr. Her daughter Marie is running for Gingoog mayor in a bid to replace her retiring mother
Killed were brothers Thomas and Nestor Velasco and a still unidentified civilian. A police officer, SPO3 Roland Dimerito, and a civilian identified as Leo Cante were also wounded.
Guingona was unconscious in her pick-up truck when help came after about six hours, according to witnesses. The vehicle was riddled with bullets and reportedly overturned.
The NPA drew flak for attacking the aging Guingona who would be stepping down from the Gingoog city hall this year. It apologized, saying rebels did not intend to hurt the mayor. The rebel group also said it would indemnify those killed and wounded.
Misamis Oriental Vice Gov. Norris Babiera, Guingona’s gubernatorial candidate, said the Gingoog mayor was airlifted to Camp Evangelista where provincial board member Jesus Jardin, a physician, waited. She was then rushed to the Capitol University Medical Center in Gusa, Cagayan de Oro. Her room is under tight security.
Guingona, according to Babiera, had arm and feet wounds.
“She’s stable now,” Babiera told The Gold Star Daily.
He said he and Guingona’s worried senator-son Teofisto III talked on the phone.
Maj. Leo Bongosia, Camp Evangelista’s deputy spokesperson, said tropps were sent to go after the rebels. The military has tightened the security in Gingoog and other eastern Misamis Oriental areas.
The NPA has been making its presence felt in Gingoog City, setting up roadblocks and recruiting villagers, according to the military. The NPA is also known to be demanding payments of permit-to-campaign fees from politicians seeking public office so they would be allowed to campaign in areas known to be under NPA territories.
Disclaimer
Mindanao Gold Star Daily holds the copyrights of all articles and photos in perpetuity. Any unauthorized reproduction in any platform, electronic and hardcopy, shall be liable for copyright infringement under the Intellectual Property Rights Law of the Philippines.
