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Iligan Rep. Belmonte wounded, 3 killed in ambush


(Updated 7:30 p.m.) Iligan Rep. Vicente Belmonte was wounded in an ambush that killed three people in Laguindigan town in Misamis Oriental province Thursday afternoon.
 
The congressman's party had just left Laguindigan Airport when it was ambushed.
 
Belmonte’s chief of staff, Atty. Rejoice Subejano, said the lawmaker did not sustain any major injuries other than a small wound on his hand. The blood splatters on his body and clothes were from the wounds of his aides.

"So far sa ngayon OK naman si Congressman. Kakatapos lang siya i-check ng doctors, wala naman po siyang sugat sa katawan," he said.

“He was brought to Laguinduigan Hospital for a check-up to ensure he is fine,” Subejano said, adding that there is no longer any need for the lawmaker to be airlifted to Manila for treatment. 
 
Subejano said Belmonte managed to avoid getting shot because his security personnel were quick to shield him from the shots fired from the van.

Three people, and not four as earlier reported, were killed, while three others were injured. According to Senior Superintendent Robert Po, the deputy chief of the PNP public information office, PO3 Marcos Agtina Andres and a certain Yoyong were among those killed.

Politcally-motivated?

Subejano said their camp has not received any serious death threats in the past and the ambush was most likely politically motivated.
 
"The only possible reason na talagang natumbok namin is nothing but political angle lang talaga. Posibleng previous or [dahil sa] 2016 elections. 'Yun ang mga possibility," he said.

At the House of Representatives, House Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales II condemned the attack and urged authorities to exert all efforts to nab those responsible for the ambush. 
 
“We’re shocked. We condemn in the strongest terms the attack on Congressman Belmonte. We call on authorities to get to the bottom of these and ensure that justice will be served,” he said.

Ambush near airport

In an interview on dzBB, Philippine National Police Region 10 spokesman Superintendent Bernard Mendoza said sketchy initial reports indicated that the congressman and his party had just left the airport and were at the crossing leading to Iligan when the ambush occurred.
 
He said at least two armed men in a van blocked their path and opened fire.
 
The van — reportedly with a yellow license plate — was burning when it was located near the airport, he added.
 
Meanwhile, Laguindingan airport area Manager Jose Bodiongan said during an interview with GMA's “News TV Live” program on Thursday that airport operations were not affected by the incident.
 
"Walang epekto because it is on the access road going to the airport that the ambush happened,” Bodiongan said.
 
He also stressed that the ambush happened outside of airport premises.
 
"It is about mga three kilometers from the gate of Laguindingan airport where that incident happened," Bodiongan said.
 
He also said that they have already requested for an augmentation force from authorities prior to the incident which they can expect by Friday. —Joel Locsin, Xianne Arcangel, Andrei Medina/KG/JST/RSJ, GMA News

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