Eight people, including a police officer, were arrested Sunday night following a tension that broke between security personnel of two mayoral candidates in San Antonio, Nueva Ecija.
In a report to Brig. Gen. Matthew Baccay, regional director of Police Regional Office-Central Luzon on Monday, arrested were security personnel of incumbent Mayor Arvin Salonga and mayoral candidate Agripino Javier – Benedicto Figueroa, Rances John Lozada, Jerick Santos, Herbert Bundalian, Gerry Vincent Vicente, Arturo Garcia, Arnold Labugin, and Cpl. Edgardo Nitoliano, assigned to the Regional Mobile Force Battalion 3.
Baccay said based on the investigation, the personnel of the San Antonio town police were patrolling in Barangay San Francisco around 9 p.m. when they chanced upon the two groups having an altercation, which ensued after a vehicle owned by the camp of Javier collided with one of the seven-convoy vehicle of Salonga.
“An altercation took place and other armed men suddenly appeared from nowhere but our authorities were quick to respond and arrested them,” he said in a statement.
Seized from the persons were various firearms and ammunition, three hand-held radios, six bulletproof vests and assorted IDs.