Pampanga mayoral bet survives rebel ambush

CAMP OLIVAS, Pampanga — A mayoral candidate in Porac town survived an ambush by nine armed men, suspected to be members of the communist breakaway faction Rebolusyonaryong Hukbo ng Bayan (RHB), last Saturday, police said.

Senior Superintendent Ismael Rafanan, Pampanga police director, said Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP) candidate Renato Payumo escaped unhurt, although a supporter, Bienvenido Capuno, chairman of Barangay Camias where the ambuscade occurred, was hit in the right arm.

Rafanan said Payumo’s group was on their way home from a speaking engagement aboard an XLT van when they were fired upon.

Besides the mayoral candidate, his companions Alfredo Tinateco, Angel Castro and Oscar Cervantes were unharmed.

Though wounded, Capuno, who was driving the van, managed to safely speed off away from the ambush site in Purok 5 in Barangay Camias.

Last year, four companions of former Porac mayor Roy David were killed when they were ambushed in Barangay Cutcut, Angeles City.

Despite Saturday’s ambush, Maj. Gen. Ernesto Carolina, commander of the Army’s 7th Infantry Division based at Fort Magsaysay in Laur, Nueva Ecija, said he foresees no bloodshed during the May 14 elections in Central Luzon.

Carolina said the military has been encountering only minor poll-related problems, such as extortion activities by communist guerrillas.

The 7th ID is responsible for the security of Central and Northern Luzon from the New People’s Army (NPA) and other communist groups.

Police have identified at least 303 barangays in Central Luzon as "areas of concern" during the election period.

In Pampanga, the towns of Mexico, Candaba, Sasmuan, Sta. Ana and San Luis have been tagged as hot spots.

Carolina downplayed the NPA’s capability to conduct offensives in Northern and Central Luzon.

"We had dealt them a big blow in Tarlac with the killing of 14 rebels, including three of their high-ranking officers in the region," he said.

He also downplayed the RHB’s strength, saying the communist faction "is only strong in Negros Occidental."