Ilocos Norte mayor survives ambush

MANILA, Philippines - Politics is one of the motives being pursued by investigators in connection with the foiled ambush of a mayor in Marcos town in Ilocos Norte on Monday night.

Marcos town Mayor Salvador Pillos survived the attack, sustaining no more than bullet scrapes on his arm and foot. He has been declared out of danger at a hospital in Dingras town.

Superintendent Jeffrey Gorospe, spokesman of the Ilocos regional police, said the foiled ambush took place at around 5 p.m. Monday when motorcycle-riding gunmen shot Pillos while he was inspecting a construction project in front of the Marcos Agro-industrial School.

Gorospe said police operatives are now conducting a pursuit operation against the attackers of Pillos, who is seeking re-election in the May polls.

Pursuing operatives recovered the getaway motorcycle used by the mayor’s attackers, a few kilometers away from the scene of the shooting. The motorcycle has a license plate of ZJ-1678 registered under a certain Joseph Siazon of Barangay Bayocboc, San Vicente, Ilocos Sur.

Gorospe said investigators are checking Siazon’s link to the attack.

Based on records, Pillos’ opponent is Arsenio Agustin, a political neophyte and a businessman previously based in the United States. Marcos town had a total of 10,457 registered voters in the 2010 elections.

Police said the attempt on Pillos’ life was the ninth shooting incident recorded in Ilocos Norte since January and the first one involving a politician.

Ilocos Norte was not included in the 15 provinces considered as areas of concern in the May elections. Tagged as poll hotspots are Abra, Pangasinan, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Cagayan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Batangas, Masbate, Samar, Misamis Occidental, Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Cavite, and Basilan. – With Teddy Molina, Raymund Catindig, Charlie Lagasca