Former Misamis Occ mayor shot dead inside Manila RTC

(Updated 11:24 a.m.) The former mayor of a Misamis Occidental town was killed Tuesday morning while attending a hearing at the Manila City Hall. Initial reports said that the shooting incident took place around 9:10 a.m. inside the courtroom of Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 19 judge Zenaida Daguna, which is located at the fourth floor of the Manila City Hall. Radio dzBB identified the fatality as Reynaldo Yap, a former mayor of Sapang Dalaga town in Misamis Occidental. Yap was serving a life term for killing his political rival, Victorio Cebedo, in 1992. The confessed gunman, Juditho Cara, had pointed to him as the mastermind. In 2004, Yap was transferred to solitary confinement for allegedly producing falsified documents that allowed him to go home and vote in the May 10 elections. In a press conference, Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim confirmed Yap's death, saying he suffered four gunshot wounds in the chest area. "He was pronounced dead on the spot," Lim said. Another victim, Bella Santos, 70, of the Crusade Against Violence, was reportedly injured when she was hit by stray bullets. She was rushed to the Philippine General Hospital where she underwent an x-ray examination and is currently being treated after sustaining two gunshot wounds to her leg and shoulder. Meanwhile, a second wounded victim, initially identified as Peter Sabihon, was brought to the Manila Doctors Hospital. He was reportedly one of Yap's bodyguards. Radio dzBB reports said the gunman held at least four persons hostage before he escaped. Lim, quoting Daguna, described the suspect as wearing what is supposed to be a police uniform, between 5'8" to 5'9" in height, with clean-cut hair, and between 30 to 35 of age. Policemen escorting City Jail inmates to other courtrooms in City Hall said they saw a man wearing a striped shirt fire an unknown-caliber handgun. They said they could not fire back at the gunman because they were required to deposit their firearms outside the courtroom. Manila Police District (MPD) assault and Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) teams cordoned off City Hall, while the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) sent a team to probe the crime scene. Lim admitted to lapses in security, saying their 20 in-house security personnel were not enough to guard the four entrances of the city hall considering the large number of people who visit the place daily. "Right now we are really considering buying metal detectors to prevent something similar to this from happening again," Lim said. Earlier reports indicated that inmates tried to escape, but police doubted it as inmates could not have access to a weapon, much less inside a courtroom. Investigators are verifying information Yap received death threats from some groups, including the communist New People's Army (NPA). Lim had already ordered City Hall employees to return to their normal functions, but employees were still being held outside the building as of 11 a.m. - GMANews.TV