STO. TOMAS, Pangasinan – A municipal councilor running for vice mayor here next year was gunned down Sunday morning by four car-riding armed men, one of whom was arrested in Barangay Poblacion West, this town, in an ensuing shootout.
The victim, Councilor Benjamin Oculto Jr., was declared dead on arrival in a hospital in Rosales, this province, due to multiple bullet wounds, police said.
Senior Supt. Wilzon Joseph Lopez, Pangasinan police director, said the victim, a resident of Barangay San Marcos, this town, had just stepped out of Jesus Christ Chapel and was crossing the road towards his vehicle at about 10:40 a.m. when one of suspects on board a blue Toyota Corolla without license plates shot him using an M16 rifle.
Policemen patrolling the area immediately responded and engaged the gunmen.
One of them, Jun Jun Vidal, 40, from Bataan, was apprehended by pursuing lawmen after he was wounded in the shootout and left behind by his companions who fled.
Vidal was taken into custody for treatment and interrogation.
Police recovered from Vidal an M16 rifle with two magazines and one magazine and ammunition for a .45 caliber pistol.
Lawmen have yet to establish the motive behind the killing of Oculto although one of the strongest angle is politics.
Oculto was running under the political party of the Celeste-Lambino tandem for governor and vice governor of this province.
No one was wounded in the shooting incident. (Liezle Basa Inigo)