BY MA. THERESA LADIAO
ILOILO City – A 65-year-old businessman and former mayoral candidate of Mina, Iloilo narrowly escaped death early Saturday morning when unidentified gunmen attacked him inside his residence.
The incident happened around 2 a.m. at Teodoro Camarista’s rest house compound in Barangay Amiroy, Mina.
Camarista and his live-in partner were roused from sleep by their dogs’ barking and saw intruders ascending the staircase.
While attempting to arm himself, Camarista accidentally shot himself in the left leg but managed to exchange gunfire with the intruders.
The skirmish, which lasted approximately 5 to 7 minutes, involved two to three attackers, according to Camarista.
Camarista could not confirm the use of a getaway vehicle by the armed men, who fled the scene after the exchange of fire.
The motive behind the intrusion remains unclear, although Camarista speculated that it could be politically driven, especially given his intentions to run in the upcoming mayoral elections.
“I don’t have any enemies in business, so that’s not a likely reason,” he noted.
Camarista’s rest house compound also hosts a poultry farm.
Captain Ma. Rosario Miranda, chief of the Mina Police Station, said that approximately 25 shell casings were recovered at the scene by the Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO).
Camarista has since handed over his .45 caliber pistol to the authorities as part of the investigation he requested.
The police have called for public assistance in identifying the armed men.
Camarista urged the police to expedite their efforts to apprehend those responsible for the attack./PN
