Damanjug mayoral bet denies his camp provoked the shoot out with rivals

Dumanjug councilor reelectionist Ely Amadora of One Cebu files blotter report. (CDN PHOTO / APPLE TAAS)

Dumanjug Vice Mayor Efren Guntrano “Gungun” Gica, a Liberal Party (LP) mayoral candidate of the town, denied his men started the shooting incident involving allies of his opponent, reelectionist Mayor Nelson Garcia of One Cebu.

Gica denied that his men fired at Councilor Ely Amadora and Jerome Saromines, as claimed by Garcia. He said his supporters were just following Amadora and Saromines from the town’s Barangay Looc on suspicion that they were having an operation for vote buying.

He said his men have a standing order to monitor the rival’s group in their vote buying operations and take picture. It was the reason why his men followed Amadora and Saromines, who were riding separate motorcycles, from Barangay Looc to the town proper, he added.

Gica said the allegation that his men fired shots at Amadora and Saromines as they scrambled to get inside Garcia’s house was unfounded because his men only carried cameras at that time.

“Wala man gani na sila makapabuto kay wa man na silay mga armas. Ikaduha, ug kami pay namusil naa untay naigo nga tawo nila, ang ako mang driver maoy naigo,” Gica said.

Gica said the driver of the Toyota Revo, which is owned by his security agency, Pioneer Security Agency, was identified as Marlon Ybañez.

He was hit in the left back, which exited on the left front of the stomach. Ybanez was brought to Barili District Hospital and was advised to be transferred to the hospital in Cebu City. However, Ybanez decided to just stay at Gica’s residence and was instead examined by a municipal doctor.

Gica said Ybanez and his companion scampered away when they were fired up and hid at a grassy area until the policemen arrived.

Gica said they would be filing frustrated murder charges against Amadora, Saromines and a certain Gregorio Torres.