Bulacan congressional aspirant, wife, son shot

STA. MARIA, Bulacan — A congressional aspirant, his wife and son were wounded when ski mask-wearing men shot them in front of their house here past midnight yesterday.

Police identified the victims as Rodolfo de Silva, 52, a former town councilor who is looking forward to running for Congress in May; his wife, Betty Jane, 53, and son Bryan, 29. 

De Silva, who ran for provincial board member in 2004 but lost, was hit in the neck and lower part of the right ear. His wife and son suffered minor wounds.

Investigation showed that the De Silvas, who had come from a meeting of the Sta. Maria Rotary Club, were parking their vehicle in front of their house in Barangay Pulong Buhangin when they were attacked at about 12:30 a.m. yesterday.

The De Silvas were rushed to an undisclosed private hospital in Manila. Their relatives told The STAR that De Silva has been declared out of danger.

Police found several empty M-16 and 9-mm shells at the crime scene.

Superintendent Jesus Gatchalian, acting provincial police director, said they were still looking into the motive behind the shooting, but the relatives of the De Silvas believe that it was politically motivated.

The De Silvas’ neighbors said that before the attack, they saw two vehicles parked near the victims’ residence.

A former municipal councilor, De Silva, according to his family, plans to run in the fourth congressional district race. The incumbent, Rep. Reylina Nicolas, is reportedly seeking another term.

If the De Silvas’ claim turned out to be true, De Silva would be the first victim of Bulacan poll violence in the run-up to the May elections.

After the 2004 elections, Arthur Garcia, a former vice mayor of Calumpit town, was gunned down. He was the first victim of election-related violence in Bulacan since 1998. — With Ric Sapnu