Bayawan City councilor hurts himself with his gun

CEBU, Philippines- The Dumaguete City Police is now investigating into the alleged accidental discharge of firearm inside the parking lot of a hospital in the city that injured Bayawan City Councilor Logronio Aurelia.

Aurelia told The Freeman he saw two persons following him at the parking lot and, when one of them was about to draw something from the waist, he was prompted to react defensively by also pulling his own gun tucked in his waist.

The gun however went off prematurely, hitting his right leg and causing the two unidentified persons to board their motorcycle and fled from the area. Recovered by the police from the scene was the councilor’s Glock 19 pistol with magazine and live ammunition and one spent shell for a 9mm-caliber pistol.

Aurelia said it was not the first time that a vehicle was tailing him, the most recent of which was four days ago, when a marked vehicle trailed his Mercedes Benz car on its way to Calindagan. The Benz car was driven by his wife while he was on board another vehicle to get the identity of the persons following him, but he failed because it was heavily tinted.

The city councilor, however, refused to name names, saying it would be up to the police to process whatever leads he gave them, including the identities of the suspects.

He added it was the same car he noticed to be following him in Cebu and in Binalbagan town, although he had no inkling on possible reasons for the threat of his life, aside from his radio program where he discussed very sensitive issues.

Aurelia denied insinuations he was involved in the illegal drug trade in Bayawan City and that his name surfaced in the watch list. He deemed these rumors being peddled around the city as black propaganda to destroy his name by people who have ax to grind against him.

To put an end to such speculations, Aurelia said he subjected himself to a weekly drug test. It maybe taxing on his part, but he said he is doing it as a way of reminding those who are planning to plant evidence against him.