CEBU, Philippines — Police are eyeing politics as the motive behind the shooting of Barangay Calamba, Cebu City councilman on Friday night.
Hildebrando Ygonia is still in critical condition after he was shot by an unidentified gunman just 25 meters away from his house in Sitio Mahayahay in Calamba village. He suffered a gunshot wound to his forehead with bullet exited through his chin.
Senior Police Officer 1 Winston Ybañez of the Cebu City Police Office’s Homicide Section said they are looking into politics as the strongest lead behind the shooting.
Ygonia, who is out on bail on charges of illegal possession of firearms, is now on his third and last term as barangay councilman.
To recall, charges were filed against Ygonia last March after operatives from the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in Central Visayas (CIDG-7) arrested him for brandishing unlicensed firearms.
Moreover, Ybañez said though they are not discounting other possible motives of the crime, such as personal grudge.
“Padayon gihapon ang atong himuon nga imbestigasyon, usa na ana ang politika pero dili sad nato matangtang ang ubang anggulo,” he said.
Ybañez said the assailant might have thought Ygonia died due to the serious gunshot wound.
The councilman is still recuperating in one of the hospitals in Cebu City. His exact location is being kept confidential for security reasons.
“Gatuo siguro to siya (gunman) nga napatay na kay wa man usbi. Pero maski kami gatuo mi namatay, pero pagkadagan didto (hospital) nadala pa man sa mga doktor,” he said.
On the other hand, Association of Barangay Councils President Phillip Zafra is asking the authorities to hasten the investigation.
“We are asking our authorities to solve it fast and put the perpetrators behind the bar of justice,” he said.
Zafra, barangay captain of Tisa, said the barangay officials are shocked and saddened by the incident.
For his part, City Mayor Tomas Osmeña said the shooting incident can be seen as “alarming,” saying barangay Calamba is a “drug-infested” area.
The mayor recalled that Ygonia got threats before the May 2018 elections.
Ygonia was the one who asked the Commission on Elections to place Calamba as poll hotspot after an unidentified armed person went to his house in the evening of April 17.
“(Ygonia) together with Richard Buscayno (Calamba barangay councilman and the regional coordinator of Akhro) were recipient of death threats,” the mayor said.
Earlier this year, Buscayno’s vehicle was strafed near his San Fernando Funeral Parlor on Katipunan Street in Barangay Calamba. — Jean Marvette A. Demecillo /KBQ (FREEMAN)