By ARTHA KIRA PAREDES
BANGUED, Abra.— A political supporter of a mayoralty candidate here was shot this morning while helping cook for the wedding of a relative in Barangay Calot.
Elmer Velasco was shot four times–in the chest and right forearm–at his relative’s house in Sitio Laylay at 7:30 a.m but is now in stable condition at the Dr. Petronilo V. Seares Memorial Hospital.
Police identified the alleged perpetrators as the brothers Benzon and Albert Bio, who were with two other unidentified men.
Bangued police chief Edward Aquintey said the motive for the shooting has yet to be established.
Association of Barangay Captains president Ryan Luna, who is running for the post of Bangued mayor, said the 40-year-old Velasco was the high school batchmate of his older brother and Lagayan mayor Jendricks Luna at the Divide Word College of Bangued.
Velasco is also the Lunas’ political leader and poll watcher in Calot.
“Isu ti mangitaktakder ti Luna didiay Calot (He stands for the Lunas in Calot),” Luna said.
Before the gunmen shot Velasco, Luna said, they asked him if he was the “leader” of the Lunas. Luna was himself ambushed April 11 while aboard a three-vehicle convoy. He survived the attack which left four of his companions wounded.
Luna also said the two unidentified men who accompanied the Bio brothers are known supporters of the barangay captain of Calot who is allied with his political opponent, Dominic Valera.
Valera said he was informed by the chief of police about a shooting this morning but he was unaware of the victim’s identity.
On April 26, police arrested Valera’s police security detail and a companion from Bauang, La Union who was carrying a 45-caliber.
Senior Superintendent Ernesto Gaab, Abra provincial police chief, said SPO1 Antonio Espiritu and Junel Billedo were detained at the Bangued Police Station but were released after posting a bail of P6,000 each.
Gaab said the Abra police has recommended that the Commission on Elections cancel Espiritu’s assignment as Valera’s security detail.
Valera said Espiritu was arrested because he forgot to bring his police identification. He added he did not know Espiritu’s companion but guessed that it might be the latter’s relative.
On April 5, Ryan’s brother, Lagayan Mayor Jendricks Luna, allegedly pointed a gun at Valera’s daughter Dr. Maria Cristina Cabrera.
Hours before this incident, a political campaigner of the Lunas in Barangay Zone 1 was allegedly threatened by Valera’s brother-in-law.
On March 23, Lagayan Mayor Jendricks Luna led the arrest of two farm helpers of the barangay captain of Maoay because they were allegedly “imported goons” of Valera.
Valera said the two were just farm helpers and has denied importing any goons and maintaining his own private army and so have the Lunas.
On March 12, Valera’s political leader, Robert Villastique, and his live-in partner were ambushed in Barangay Lubong allegedly by known supporters of Luna. Luna denied any hand in the incident.
The Lunas have also been accused of intimidating supporters of Valera in the most remote barangays of Bangued. The Lunas have denied these accusations.
The Luna and Valera families used to be political allies but are now bitter enemies.