Police forces have cordoned the house of Pilar, Abra Vice Mayor Jaja Josefina Disono after her bodyguards allegedly engaged policemen in a gun battle after disregarding a police checkpoint on Tuesday morning, March 29.
Police Capt. Marnie Abellanida, spokesperson of the Police Regional Office-Crodillera Administrative Region, also belied the claims circulating in the social media that the local police ambushed the group of Disono.
"There is no truth to that. What happened was that there was a van that ignored our checkpoints in the area and those on board even fired on our troops manning the checkpoints," Abellanida told the Manila Bulletin in a phone interview.
Based on the report from the ground, Abellanida said personnel of the Pilar Municipal Police Station and Regional Mobile Forces Battalion were conducting checkpoint near the town proper of Pilar when they flagged down the van that was passing in the area.
Instead of stopping, he said the van ignored the checkpoint and even rammed the two policemen who were about to check the vehicle.
Those on board even fired at the policemen before speeding off. One of the police cars was hit.
"Our personnel immediately pursued the vehicle and they saw that the vehicle entered a compound owned by the vice mayor," said Abellanida.
It was learned that Disono is running for reelection for the May 9 elections.
On the Facebook page of Pilar Local Government Unit, it claimed that at least one person was already dead as a result of the police attack.
But Abellanida said they are yet to receive the progress report from their local troops.
"The compound, however, was cordoned and our troops are already securing the area," he said.