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Balete town mayor dies in hospital after ambush


(Updated 12:30 p.m.) A town mayor in Batangas province died on arrival at hospital while three others were hurt after a group of unidentified men attacked them on Wednesday morning. Radio reports quoted authorities as identifying the lone fatality as Balete Mayor David Pamplona, 60, of the Partido ng Masang Pilipino (PMP), former President Joseph Estrada's political party. Superintendent Flaviano Garcia Jr, chief of the Malvar police, said that the slain local official was on board his Nissan Exalta vehicle (plate number XFJ-219) with his daughter Lorelyn, 23; his driver Jerson Diokno, 45; and two of the family's househelps when the shooting happened. Wounded in the ambush were Diokno and the two maids identified as Jonalyn Gonzales, 20, and Marilyn Pagayunan. According to the Malvar police, the mayor's daughter survived the attack unscathed. However, Senior Superintendent David Quimio Jr, acting Batangas provincial police director, said in a separate interview that Lorelyn was among those hurt in the incident. "Sa kinasamaang palad, (Si Mayor Pamplona) ay nag-dead on arrival. Ang kanyang mga kasama naman ay lahat ay nakaligtas. At iyong dalawa, slightly wounded pati iyong anak niya. Yun ngang driver niya ay medyo may tama rin at kasalukuyang ginagamot. Pero lahat naman sila ay naka-survive," the police official said. Initial investigation showed that the victims were reportedly headed for Manila from Balete town and was approaching the Star Toll Exit in Bulihan village in Malvar town when the Armalite-wielding assailants attacked at about 9:10 a.m. The victims were rushed to the Mercado General Hospital in Tanuan City where they underwent medical treatment. However, Dr Glenn Garcia said that the Balete mayor died at about 9:50 a.m. due to multiple organ failure, after he sustained fatal gunshot wounds to his neck and chest. A hot pursuit operation is underway to capture the unidentified suspects, the report added. Malvar is a fourth class municipality in the province of Batangas with a population of 32,691 people in 6,310 households. - GMANews.TV
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