Suspended mayor in Northern Samar, son shot, wounded

CATARMAN, Northern Samar, Philippines — A suspended municipal mayor and his son were shot and wounded outside their house on Thursday night in Victoria town, about 50 kilometers west of this capital town.

Suspended Mayor Jose Ardales suffered a gunshot wound in the shoulder while, his son, Jorge, was hit in the stomach, said Senior Superintendent Isaias Tonog, provincial police director.

He said the lone gunman — reportedly a member of the Citizens’ Armed Forces Geographical Unit — fled on foot after shooting the mayor and his son who were just outside their house in Barangay (village) Zone 1, Poblacion, about 8 p.m.

Tonog said the two were brought to the district hospital in Allen town, also in Northern Samar.

Ardales is serving a six-month suspension after the Provincial Board found him guilty of administrative charges of malversation of public funds, dishonesty, gross negligence of duty, grave misconduct, among others.

He is running for mayor under the National Unification Party against Liberal Party’s Guillermo Jumamil.