CITY OF SAN FERNANDO — The stepson of the mayor of Arayat town in Pampanga and four other men were killed after clashing with policemen serving a search warrant on Saturday morning.
Melvin Guevarra, barangay captain of Cupang and the stepson of Mayor Bonifacio Alejandrino, was slain in a 40-minute firefight with the police.
Also killed in the shootout were Aldrin Luriz, Fermin Bato and Jack Pineda. The fifth fatality has not been identified as of press time.
PO3 Raffy Tacdiran was wounded in the 2 a.m. shootout that alarmed residents of Purok 2.
The house of Mayor Alejandrino is in Cupang village, but he has not responded to telephone calls made by the Inquirer.
The mayor was a former communist rebel commander, who lost his son Vladimir in an ambush more than 10 years ago.
Guevarra and Pineda were the subjects of the warrant for illegal firearms and explosives, according to Senior Supt. Joel Consulta, Pampanga provincial police director.
The police’s Provincial Public Safety Command and Special Weapons and Tactics team served the warrant issued by Judge Celso Baguio, executive judge of the Regional Trial Court in Gapan City, Nueva Ecija.
The police recovered two M4 baby Armalites, and three hand guns from the suspects.
Guevarra was the second village chief in Arayat to be accused of illegal activities. On Feb. 16, Barangay Captain Rosendo Dizon of Cacutud was arrested together with former Arayat Mayor Luisito Espino and three other men for alleged possession of illegal firearms, explosives and illegal drugs. JE