Commission on Elections chair George Erwin Garcia. —Inquirer photo/Jesus Niño Orbeta
MANILA, Philippines — There was no need to place Albuera town in Leyte under “red category,” or areas with serious armed threats, after confessed drug lord Kerwin Espinosa was shot during a campaign rally on Thursday, according to the Commission on Elections (Comelec).
Speaking at a news conference on Friday, Comelec Chair George Garcia said there was no need to raise the classification because the Philippine National Police has already identified possible suspects behind the shooting.
According to the PNP, Espinosa was shot at a gymnasium in Barangay Tinag-an at about 4:30 p.m. on Thursday.
READ: Gomez on Kerwin’s allegation: ‘Don’t believe somebody like him’
Espinosa, 47, was sitting on a monoblock chair waiting for his turn to speak at a campaign rally when an unidentified male person hiding in the ceiling of the stage shot him from behind, said the police. He was hit on his right chest and the bullet made an exit through his right arm.
The police added Espinosa’s younger sister, Mariel Espinosa Marinay, who is his running mate for vice mayor, and a child, were also hit. Both suffered from minor injuries and are out of danger, the police said.
READ: Kerwin Espinosa shot while campaigning
Persons of interest
“Based on the PNP’s investigation, they have already identified individuals who may be responsible or who may be held accountable,” Garcia said on Friday.
“For us, in the meantime, that is sufficient. Why should we cause alarm in the entire town when only a few individuals were responsible for it?” he added.
READ: Kerwin Espinosa wants to be Albuera mayor, fight drugs
Also on Thursday, the PNP took into custody seven policemen after being tagged as persons of interest in the shooting of Espinosa.
Police Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo, spokesperson for the PNP, said the policemen were found inside a compound where the suspected getaway vehicle proceeded amid a hot pursuit operation.
According to Fajardo, the seven cops are assigned at Ormoc City Police Station. They were wearing civilian clothing when they were caught inside the compound.
Two of them, she said, are officials while the five others are noncommissioned officers.
She added two vehicles were seen in the compound while several firearms were also discovered in the vehicles.