8 nabbed in standoff between security men of Nueva Ecija town mayoral bets –PNP

Authorities arrested eight individuals after the security men of rival mayoralty candidates in San Antonio, Nueva Ecija confronted each other on Sunday night - election day eve.

In a Monday statement, the Philippine National Police's Police Regional Office 3 said that those arrested were security personnel of San Antonio incumbent Mayor Arvin Salonga and mayoral candidate Agripino Javier.

The suspects were identified as Benedicto Figueroa, Rances John Lozada, Jericho Santos, Herbert Bundalian, Gary Vicente, Arturo Garcia, Arnold Mariano, and Police Corporal Edgardo Nitoliano.

At around 9 p.m. on Saturday, the San Antonio Police chanced upon Salonga's seven-vehicle convoy entering Cuerpo Street. An SUV owned by Javier’s party then suddenly bumped into one of the convoy vehicles.

The convoy vehicle, which had no plate, allegedly had two armed men aboard. These men were said to be part of Salonga's civilian security detail.

“An altercation ensued and other armed men suddenly appeared from nowhere but the authorities were quick to respond and arrested them,” the PRO3 said.

Among the items seized from the suspects were:

• an Armscor caliber .45 pistol with tampered serial number
• Armscor caliber 9mm pistol with serial number 1454692;
• an Armscor caliber 9mm pistol with serial number 1674523;
• a Glock 9mm pistol with serial number PNP51348;
• a Colt caliber .45 pistol with serial number 226652;
• a Para Ordnance caliber .45 with serial number QG 3142;
• a Maverick shotgun with Serial number MV62979C;
• an M16 A1 rifle with serial number RP 003726 with silencer;
• 19 rounds of M16 live Ammunition;
• 49 rounds of 9mm live Ammunition;
• two rounds of caliber .38 live ammunition;
• 53 rounds of caliber .45 live ammunition;
• 10 pistol magazines; one twenty round M16 magazine;
• 17 one-thousand-peso bills;
• two five-hundred-peso bills;
• 14 one-hundred-peso bills;
• three hand-held radios;
• six bulletproof vests;
• six Security IDs;
• a PNP ID; and
• an assortment of other IDs.

Complaints for violation of the Omnibus Election Code of the Philippines and RIR to Damages of Property are being readied against the suspects for court referral.

PRO3 director Police Brigadier General Matthew Baccay said the police were on top of the situation and were continuously exerting all efforts to ensure a safe, secure, and fair election for the public. — DVM, GMA News