3 dead, 4 hurt in campaign poster dispute

CALAMBA CITY — Three people, including a retired police superintendent, were killed and four others were critically wounded in a supposed dispute over campaign materials here after midnight the other day.

Superintendent Edmund Zaide, this city’s police chief, identified the fatalities as retired policeman Domingo Lumbres, Victor Molina, 40, and Christopher Manaig, 19.

Wounded were Elena Alcabasa, 49; Anthony Alcabasa, 23; Marta Manaig, 56; and Lumbres’ brother Menorio, 45.

Investigation showed that the Lumbres brothers, riding in an owner-type jeep, went to Barangay Palo-alto to verify reports that a group was burning campaign posters and streamers of mayoral candidate Saturnino Lajara, younger brother of incumbent Mayor Severino Lajara.

Lumbres reportedly chased three of the alleged vandals and fired shots, fatally hitting Molina and Manaig.

Lumbres, who fled after the incident, was later found dead.

However, Dennis Ambat, a companion of the victims, had another version and denied that his friends were burning Lajara’s campaign materials.

Ambat said they were walking home at about 12:30 a.m. when they noticed an owner-type jeep trailing them.

As the vehicle neared them, he said its occupants opened fire at them, hitting Molina and Manaig. He said he ran away and informed his friends’ relatives about the incident.

When the relatives arrived, the jeep’s occupants again fired shots, hitting Anthony Alcabasa and the two women.