Zamboanga del Norte cops draw fire from Rep. ‘Bullet’ Jalosjos

ZAMBOANGA Del Norte reelectionist Representative Seth Frederick “Bullet” Jalosjos said he escaped an assassination attempt during his campaign rally on Tuesday.

In a statement on Wednesday, Jalosjos said the slay attempt happened on April 27 during the miting de avance of the Alliance of Parties for Progress-Nacionalista Party at the Central Public Market in Barangay Poblacion.

“Following queries from the media, I am confirming that there was indeed an assassination attempt on my life yesterday, April 27, at the Central Public market located at Barangay Poblacion, La Libertad during the miting de avance of the Alliance of Parties for Progress-Nacionalista Party (APP-NP),” Jalosjos said in a statement.

“At around 4:15 p.m., as I was approaching the podium, several armed persons carrying firearms with some wearing military fatigue uniforms suddenly fired multiple shots to our direction. As the crowd dispersed, the armed group advanced towards my direction. A shoot out occurred for about 15 minutes. There were about 40 bullets fired,” Jalosjos said.

He said the police only arrived when the crowd has dispersed and the shooting stopped. Ironically, a police outpost was just across the street, he added.

“During the entire incident, which lasted over 30 minutes, not one policeman came, and their outpost was only across the street – less than five minutes from where the encounter occurred,” he said.

Jalosjos said he lamented the failure of the police to prevent the assassination attempt.

“They could have easily responded if they wanted to. But they opted to simply sit in through the entire incident. It was impossible not to hear the gunshots,” Jalosjos said.

He said he suspected that the police officers supposedly did not act during the assassination attempt because they were allegedly supporting another candidate.

“When our police officers, our enforcement authorities are not serious in upholding the law, then election-related violence will thrive and succeed. The police force may not choose who to protect against lawlessness. It is alarming when political colors stand in the way of protecting lives, especially of our civilians,” Jalosjos said.

“Over a thousand supporters attended the rally and not one policeman came to protect them,” he added.

He said this was not the first time the police supposedly turned a blind eye on the harassment against him.

“A number of my local leaders and supporters have been attacked during the last few weeks and were not able to obtain any assistance, support, protection, or remedy from the provincial police,” Jalosjos said.

Rep. Jalosjos is the son of convicted child rapist former congressman Romeo Jalosjos.