A shooting incident during the Christmas party of two political parties in Misamis Occidental on Wednesday could be related to the coming 2022 elections, the Philippine National Police said Thursday.
PNP spokesperson Police Colonel Roderick Alba noted the three victims in the incident were political figures and candidates in the coming May polls.
“The possibility of this being an election-related violence is apparent since the victims are public officials and political candidates,” he said in a video message,
However, Alba added the police will still determine the motive behind the shooting.
The PNP will also check if there is already a presence of private armed groups in the area, according to Alba.
On Wednesday, PDP Laban and Asenso Ozamiz Local Party members were having a Christmas party when a “sniper fire” was heard at 8:45 p.m.
Lopez Jaena, Misamis Occidental Mayor Michael Gutierrez and congressional aspirant Jason Almonte were wounded, according to the report from the Police Region Office 10.
The bullet hit the frame of the glass door and a splinter hit the nape of Almonte, who is running as 1st district representative of Misamis Occidental.
The slug hit the left temple and exited the nape of Gutierrez, who is running for vice governor of the province.
Misamis Occidental Rep. Henry Oaminal suffered minor bruises in the arm and back of the head, the PNP said.
The PNP said it has imposed a lockdown of Tangub City while dragnet operations are underway against the perpetrators. Checkpoints have also been set up.
PRO 10 director Police Brigadier General Benjamin Acorda said the Special Investigation Task Group Oaminal-Gutierrez-Almonte has been created to focus on the case.