Mayoralty candidate in Davao and son die in shootout

By Ronron
May 16, 2007

A candidate for Mayor in Davao del Sur province and his son died in a shootout Wednesday afternoon against supporters of their political rival.

Provincial Police Director Sr. Supt. Anselmo Pinili identified the victims as Isidro Sarmiento, candidate for Mayor of Malita town, and his son, Danilo.

Pinili said the shooting incident happened at around 3pm outside the municipal hall of Malita where the canvassing of votes was ongoing.

Pinili said a staffer of Sarmiento was walking outside the municipal hall, carrying some documents, when supporters of gubernatorial candidate Claude Bautista stopped the staffer on suspicion that he was bringing pertinent election materials.

Bautista is running against Davao del Sur Representative Douglas Cagas, whom the Sarmiento’s are supporting.

The encounter between the Sarmiento staffer and Bautista’s supporters drew the victims in from the place of the canvassing at the municipal hall and sparked a heated argument, and later a shootout.

“They (Sarmiento’s) went out with their guns, and the shootout began,” Pinili said.

Pinili said the Sarmiento’s were armed with caliber 45 pistols. It was not clear yet if the two are authorized by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to carry firearms at this time of the election period.

The shootout left the older Sarmiento dead on the spot, his son dead on arrival at a hospital, and a civilian supporter of Bautista wounded.

“Sarmiento was losing in the count but he was there to guard the votes for Cagas,” Pinili said./DMS