Rival political groups in Bilar town, Bohol clash; 1 wounded

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CEBU CITY – One person was wounded on Sunday morning during a shootout between the group of a retired Army officer and supporters of a municipal mayor in the mountain village of Bilar town, Bohol.

The wounded was identified as Gener Idulsa, supporter of Bilar Mayor Norman Palacio, according to an initial report submitted to the Bohol Provincial Police Office (BPPO) based in the capital city of Tagbilaran.

The same report said the police arrested former Army Captain Elmer Namocat, who was said to be a supporter of Ester Corazon Galbreath. She is challenging Palacio’s reelection bid.

Initial police investigation showed that the group of Namocat engaged in a shootout with the supporters of Palacio in Barangay (village) Yanaya, about 10 kilometers from the town proper of Bilar, about 10:50 a.m. on Sunday.

The report said the motive was “political” but no details were provided.

Chief Inspector George Caña of the BPPO told the Philippine Daily Inquirer in a phone interview that they were still gathering information about the shooting but Namocat was already under police custody.

Lawyer Lionel Castillano, election officer in Bohol, said Bilar was not included in the election watchlist areas (EWAS) in the province.

Those in the EWAS were the towns of Trinidad, Carmen, Candijay, Buenavista and Danao and the city of Tagbilaran.

Castillano said it was too late to include Bilar in the EWAS. But deployment of troops to beef up security during the election would not be a problem, he added, since there was a Special Forces detachment in nearby town of Carmen.