Former Camarines Sur lawmaker survives ambush try

MANILA, Philippines — Former Rep. Rolando Andaya Jr. (Camarines Sur) survived an ambush attempt on him, police said Tuesday.

Police said two individuals onboard a motorcycle fired at the vehicle of Andaya at around 5:45 a.m. in Barangay Palestina, Pili, Camarines Sur. Andaya is safe and unharmed, police said.

“I really thought we hit a motorcycle and I actually alighted from the car,” Andaya told state-run People’s Television. “It was when I looked for scratches or collision marks that I realized the door where I was seated had a hole. If the car had not been bulletproof, maybe we would not be communicating now.”

Police said they recovered two pieces of used .45-caliber cartridges at the scene of the crime.

Bicol police are now investigating the ambush attempt on Andaya.

“Makakaasa po kayo na kami ay makikipagtulungan sa mga witnesses at mga local government official ng Camarines Sur upang mapabilis na pagtukoy at pagresolba sa insidenteng ito,” Bicol police director Police Brig. Gen. Jonnel Estomo said.

(Rest assured that we will coordinate with witnesses and local government officials of Camarines Sur so we can quickly identify and solve this incident.)

Andaya was House majority leader from July 2018 to January 2019 under the leadership of then Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

He was also Macapagal-Arroyo's budget secretary when she was president. — Xave Gregorio