1 killed in shooting incident involving Pilar, Abra vice mayor's convoy, cops

A security personnel of Pilar, Abra Vice Mayor Jaja Josefina Disono was killed Tuesday in a shooting incident which the local official claimed as an ambush and the police described as an armed encounter.

Disono told GMA News Online she was on her way home from the municipal hall when the shooting incident happened.

“May kausap lang ako. Tapos po sinabi ng empleyado na ‘yung  tatay noong kalaban ng kapatid ko na incumbent mayor  pumunta sa pulis. Tapos, mamaya may checkpoint,” she said.

(I was just talking to someone. Then an employee told me that the father of the opponent of my sibling, who is the incumbent mayor, went to the police. Then, later on, there was a checkpoint.)

She said she stopped at the checkpoint and then moved later on. She added the police asked her personnel on board another vehicle to alight.

“Siguro natakot, e sumunod na sa amin. Binakbakan na ‘yung kasama namin, 'yung sa likod. May namatay po kaming kasama,” Disono said.

(Perhaps, they got scared, so they followed us. The police fired at them. One person on our side was killed.)

An initial report from the PROCOR showed the incident happened in Barangay Poblacion at 10:30 a.m. when a Toyota Hiace ignored the checkpoint after being flagged down by the police.

Police said two personnel of its Regional Mobile Force Battalion 15, who served as rear security, were allegedly bumped by the vehicle.

According to the report, a police mobile pursued the fleeing Toyota Hiace and its occupants allegedly fired at the police vehicle.

“Hot pursuit operation ensued, wherein the motor vehicle fled towards the compound/residence of Vice Mayor Jaja Josefina Disono,” the report said.

PROCOR chief Police Brigadier General Ronald Lee said the incident was not an ambush.

“Hindi  ambush. VM and her armed civilian escorts ignored the PNP checkpoint at sinagasaan ang dalawang pulis natin at pinuputukan ng mga armed goons ni VM kaya nagkahabulan,” he said.

(Not an ambush. The vice mayor and her armed civilian escorts ignored the checkpoint and hit our two cops, and the vice mayor’s armed goons fired their guns that’s why they were chased.)

Lee said the police cordoned the house of Disono because the armed individuals went there.—AOL, GMA News