La Union candidate, 4 others wounded in gun attack

DAGUPAN CITY —- A La Union candidate for councilor of Balaoan town and his four companions were wounded in a Friday night (May 3) attack, police said on Saturday (May 4).

Rogelio Concepcion, husband of Balaoan Vice Mayor Nadine Joy Concepcion and cousin of slain Balaoan Vice Mayor Al-Fred Concepcion, is now in stable condition at a hospital, according to Police Major Silverio Ordinado, La Union police spokesperson.

His companions, Christian Estrada, Bernabe Ordinado Sr., Teodorico Magleo and Mark Francis Arciaga, survived when armed men inside a van opened fire at their two-vehicle convoy. They were on their way home when they were ambushed along Nagsabaran Norte village at 8:18 p.m.

In a social media post on Friday night, reelectionist Balaoan Mayor Aleli Concepcion said: “The enemy strikes again to sow fear in our hearts and terrorize us. Lord, please let peace reign in Balaoan. Shield us from evil and violence.”

On Nov. 14 last year, Mayor Concepcion was wounded after armed men fired at her car as she and her father, Al-Fred, were being driven to the municipal hall. Al-Fred and his aide, Michael Ulep, were killed and eight others were wounded during the attack. Nadine Joy assumed Al-Fred’s post by succession being the top-ranking councilor.

The Concepcion family had offered a P10-million reward for the arrest of the vice mayor’s killers but to date, police have yet to arrest a suspect.

At the start of the election period in January, the Commission on Elections declared Balaoan and Agoo towns as “areas of grave concern” in La Union.