1 dead, 4 hurt in rampage in Bulacan mayor's office

GUIGUINTO, Bulacan, Philippines – A long-time bodyguard of this town’s mayor was gunned down after he went into a rampage and shot and wounded the municipal legal officer and three others in the mayor’s office yesterday afternoon.

As a result of the incident, municipal employees were immediately sent home to give way to the investigation, while classes in three nearby schools were cancelled.

Mayor Isagani Pascual identified the lone fatality as Danilo Bana, his long-time bodyguard who started the shooting.

Wounded were lawyer Edwin Cerezo, the municipal legal officer; PO1 Michael Mendoza; Eduardo Pregino, the mayor’s personal security aide; and a certain Jonjon, a visitor at the mayor’s office.

All of them were rushed to the Bulacan Polymedic Hospital in Barangay Tabang here where they were given first aid, and immediately underwent surgical operation.

In a hastily called press conference, Pascual said he had no idea why Bana went berserk and started firing his gun.

He said the shooting started at around 3:30 p.m., but municipal employees and other sources said it began at 3 p.m. and lasted for about five minutes.

Pascual was in his office, just a few meters away from the scene of the shooting, separated only by a glass door.

He said Mendoza, though wounded, rushed to him and told him to duck on the floor until Bana was neutralized.

It was not immediately known how many gunshot wounds Bana suffered, as police officers prevented journalists from entering the mayor’s office while waiting for scene of the crime operatives.