Persons of interest in Leody team shooting identified

MANILA, Philippines — Three security guards have been tagged as persons of interest in a shooting incident during an activity attended by Partido ng Lakas ng Masa presidential candidate Leody de Guzman in Quezon, Bukidnon on Tuesday.

Col. Jean Fajardo, Philippine National Police (PNP) spokesperson, said the security guards, whom she did not identify, were at a disputed private property visited by De Guzman and officials of the Manobo-Pulangiyon tribe.

Fajardo said police confiscated eight shotguns, a .45-caliber pistol and a .38-caliber revolver from the security guards for ballistics examination.

Initial investigation showed the incident occurred at a property in Barangay San Jose that members of the indigenous people’s group claimed to have been forcibly taken from them by a politician.

The security guards said the people who entered the property were armed with bolos and guns, prompting them to fire warning shots. Five people were wounded.

De Guzman said the incident was not election-related even though the person beside him was among those wounded.

He said he believes he was not the target of the shooting.

De Guzman urged probers to focus on the issue of land grabbing.

Meanwhile, Malacañang assured de Guzman that the Duterte administration would continue its agrarian reform program until the end of its term. – Mayen Jaymalin, Alexis Romero