BAGUIO CITY — With security tightening and a gun ban in force 21 days before the scheduled village and youth polls, a group of armed men shot it out with police on patrol in Bucay town, Abra on Monday.
Reports reaching Brig. Gen. David K. Peredo, Cordillera regional police director, said 10 gunmen exchange fire with patrolling members of the 2nd Police Mobile Force Company (PMFC) at Sitio Nagcasanglan in Barangay Layugan.
As the gunmen retreated deeper into the forest, a certain “Romnick” of Barangay Calumbaya, Dolores town, was found gravely wounded and in possession of an M-16 rifle. He died on the way to the Assumpta Family Hospital in Bucay.
Meanwhile, Mr. Peredo has refused to link the shootout to earlier reports that armed men had been going around several barangays in the town, supposedly terrorizing voters to elect candidates allied with incumbent provincial officials. He said the investigation was still ongoing. — Artemio A. Dumlao
