Police probing attack on Davao town vice mayor

DIGOS CITY – Police authorities in Davao del Sur were investigating the motive of Good Friday’s attack by armed men on the house of Malalag town Vice Mayor Anselmo Mejias Sr.

Mejias was injured in the 6:56 p.m. attack that also saw two of the attackers dead and another one severely injured.

Senior Supt. Michael John Dubria, Davao del Sur police director, said the vice mayor was inside his house at Purok Lumbia in Barangay Poblacion when three armed men arrived on foot and immediately opened fire.

Mejias, who was also armed traded fire with the three men, killing two of them in the process, he said.

Dubria identified the slain attackers as Romy and Macky, both surnamed Peñafiel. The relationship between the two slain suspects was not immediately known.

P02 Jonalou Cañada, Malalag police’s case investigator, said another suspect, Raymond Alipayo, 19, of Kapalong, Davao del Norte was injured in the gun battle between his group and the vice mayor.

Mejias was also hit on the leg and was immediately brought to a hospital after subduing his attackers.

Dubria said responding policemen also recovered a homemade Uzi-type pistol, a caliber .38 revolver with six live ammunitions and a 12-gauge shotgun at the crime scene.

Dubria said the police had gotten some reports on the possible motive of the incident but that these were still being validated.

Mejias is an ally of current Malalag town mayor, Roel Paras, under the Nacionalista Party.