Blast hits La Union mayor's convoy; 2 policemen hurt

NAGUILIAN, La Union, Philippines  – Two police officers were injured when an explosion hit the convoy of this town’s mayor Saturday night.

PO2 Joel Ago and PO1 Ramil Castro sustained injuries on their arms and were brought to the Naguilian District Hospital.

Mayor Reynaldo Flores, who was on his vehicle followed by the patrol car, believes that he was the target of the attack.

“I just don’t know what the real motive is but I think this is politically motivated,” Flores said, expressing suspicion that his political opponents were behind the attack.

Investigation showed that the patrol car driven by PO3 Moises Rivera was cruising Barangay Tudingan en route to the town proper when the explosion occurred at around 6 p.m. Saturday, injuring Ago and Castro and heavily damaging the police vehicle.

Scene-of-the-crime operatives said an improvised explosive caused the blast.

Senior Superintendent Ramon Purugganan, La Union police director, has ordered Chief Inspector Efren Geraban, Naguilian police chief, to thoroughly investigate the incident.