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BY RUBY P. SILUBRICO
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Monday, June 5, 2017
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ILOILO City – Mayor Jose “Jojo” De Paula of Janiuay, Iloilo was mauled late Saturday night at a resort in Barangay Tubang, Maasin town. He was hospitalized.
After hearing a burst of gunfire past 11 p.m. unidentified men at Villa Teresita Inland Resort attacked De Paula, who was walking toward his parked vehicle.
De Paula had his cuts and bruises treated at St. Paul’s Hospital Iloilo.
The mayor could not be reached for comment as of this writing but from what the police so far gathered, De Paula was at the resort that night with his town’s basketball team to celebrate winning a basketball tournament championship.
Past 11 p.m., De Paula tried to enter a function room of the Villa Teresita Inland Resort where a program of an LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) association of Maasin was being held. He was, however, denied entry because he was not an invitee, according to Senior Inspector Rey Cordero, Maasin police chief.
Cordero also said the organizers of the event did not realize that the person they turned away was the Janiuay mayor, and that De Paula appeared smashed.
Denied entry, De Paula walked away and as he was heading toward his vehicle, a burst of gunfire was heard.
“Barangay officials disarmed De Paula. They did not know he was the Janiuay mayor. Then some men in the resort mauled him,” said Cordero.
When the barangay officials realized the man being attacked was the mayor of Janiuay, they helped him to his vehicle. De Paula then left.
The barangay officials turned over to the Maasin police the .9mm pistol they took from De Paula, said Cordero.
They also brought to the Ramon Tabiana Memorial District Hospital in nearby Cabatuan town 20-year-old gunshot victim Donald Robles of Barangay Naslo, Maasin. He had a wound on the abdomen.
As of this writing, the Maasin police was guarding De Paula at St. Paul’s Hospital Iloilo. Cordero said the mayor’s status was under arrest.
Cordero said De Paula was yet to present to them his gun license and permit to carry firearm outside of residence.
The mayor could possibly face charges of frustrated homicide, indiscriminate firing and illegal possession of firearm, said Cordero./PN
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