Ex-Vizcaya mayor's son slain

SOLANO, Nueva Vizcaya, Philippines  – A son of a former mayor here was shot dead by unknown gunmen in what is believed as a failed robbery while on his way home on an Isuzu DMax pickup at around 4:30 p.m. Friday. 

Reports said Jonathan Castillo, 36, had just deposited checks in several banks in Solano town with employees of the family-owned Rural Bank of Bagabag, when at least four armed men ambushed them along the national highway in Bangar village. 

Castillo, son of Bagabag town’s former mayor Victor Castillo suffered a bullet wound in the head. A bullet grazed the head of the driver of the vehicle, Valentino Gauiran, 47; while Roberto Valdez, 34, the bank’s accountant-cashier was injured from the car windshield’s shattered glass. 

Chief Inspector Alberto Bagarra, town police chief, said the suspects were armed with handguns and an M-16 armalite. 

Valdez and Gauiran said the suspects announced a holdup. Castillo was shot during the struggle for his 9-mm pistol, when he tried to aim it at the suspects.

The suspects then took Castillo’s handgun and fled on two motorcycles.

Bagarra said slugs of caliber .45 and 9-mm pistols were found in the victim’s car, which bore at least three bullet holes.

Scene of the crime operatives are still investigating the incident. 

“We are waiting for the witnesses so we could make the sketches of the suspects,” Bagarra said.  

Bagarra said that the suspects might have thought that Castillo’s group had withdrawn a big amount of money from the banks.