Campaign vehicle driver shot, wounded

A 43-YEAR-OLD man was hurt after he was shot by an unidentified assailant while driving a campaign vehicle in Barangay Talisay, Santander town, southern Cebu on Friday afternoon, May 6, 2022, or three days before the May 9 elections.

But Cebu Police Provincial Office director Col. Engelbert Soriano clarified that the incident cannot be considered as election related.

SSgt. Dante Deniega, investigator of the Santander Police Station, identified the victim as Rad Andrade of Barangay Liloan and driver of the campaign vehicle bearing the names of Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn “Gwen” Garcia and Provincial Board member Jose Mari “Tata” Salvador (Cebu, second).

Municipal police personnel headed by Executive Msgt.

Lowell Ege immediately proceeded to the area after receiving a report from a concerned citizen about the shooting incident.

Deniega told SunStar Cebu the victim was roving around the municipality, playing One Cebu’s campaign jingle when upon reaching Barangay Talisay a brown Toyota Vios overtook them, its driver opened the car’s window and shot the victim several times.

Andrade, who sustained gunshot wounds on his arm, chest and left portion of his body, was brought to Oslob District Hospital but later transferred to a hospital in Cebu City for further treatment.

Andrade’s passengers namely Lucita Andrade, Jeralyn Andrade, Marilou Juguilon, Vanz Jury Bendanillo, and three other minors were spared from the attack.

But Soriano, in a separate interview, ruled out politics as having involved in the incident since Andrade was not a government employee and he was only hired to drive the campaign vehicle and go around the town with the campaign jingle playing.

Soriano said personal grudge may be a possible motive after they found out that Andrade had a previous quarrel with another person.

Local police in Santander are currently conducting a follow-up operation.

Due to the incident, Soriano ordered all police stations in the province to initiate regular checkpoints, especially in the mountain barangays.