Nelson Morales

Bulacan congressional bet says police readying raps over ambush on staff

Article (news)

Agatha Gregorio

ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA — Authorities are preparing to file a case on the killing of a staff member of Bulacan congressional candidate Victor Silverio and two others.</p><p>Silverio said during the Kapihan sa QC on Sunday that the shooting may be politically motivated. </p><p>However, he said they will not conduct background investigation on other candidates running to represent Bulacan&#x27;s 3rd district at the House of Representatives. </p><p>Running against Silverio are <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/regions/2024/9/18/bulacan-mayor-with-p400k-in-bags-threatens-boc-staff-at-clark-1737">San Rafael, Bulacan Mayor Cholo Vialogo</a> and independent candidate JG Agojo.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/regions/2025/3/21/2-patay-1-sugatan-sa-pamamaril-sa-suv-sa-bulacan-1721"><strong>3 killed in San Rafael, Bulacan ambush</strong></a></div><p> &quot;We never speculate. Sa totoo lang, Kahit gaano karumi po na isang tao or magiging katunggali ko now or in the future ayoko po na ako &#x27;yung nagtuturo na ganito siya, ganyan siya. You leave it to the general public to conduct their own investigation,&quot; Silverio said.</p><p>(No matter how dirty a rival may be, I don&#x27;t want to point fingers)</p><p>Last March 21, Bryan Villaflor, IT personnel of Silverio and his mother Bulacan 3rd District Rep. Lorna Silverio, died along with his partner and a male security personnel in an ambush in Barangay Capihan in San Rafael town.</p><p>According to the police, the three were aboard a black SUV when another black SUV chased after their vehicle. The three were later shot repeatedly. </p><p>Regional police placed several checkpoints along Maharlika Highway and the Balagtas to San Rafael bypass road following the incident, according to Silverio. </p><p>He said he has also sought additional security from the regional police.</p><p>&quot;Of course, ca-cascade po &#x27;yan na regional to provincial police kung saan nabibigyan naman tayo paminsan-minsan ng escort,&quot; Silverio said. </p><p>(Of course, that is cascaded to the provincial police, who sometimes provide an escort)</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/regions/2025/3/25/pnp-politika-isa-sa-posibleng-motibo-sa-san-rafael-bulacan-ambush-1347"><strong>PNP: Politika isa sa posibleng motibo sa San Rafael, Bulacan &#x27;ambush&#x27; </strong></a></div><p>He added that incident has made members of his and his mother&#x27;s staff fearful for their safety.<strong></strong><br/></p><p>&quot;Sa totoo lang, minsan napapag-usapan naming kampanya ba &#x27;tong pinasok natin o giyera?&quot; he said.</p><p>(To be honest, sometimes we ask ourselves if we are participating in an election campaign or a war)</p><p>In March, the Commission on Elections placed 36 areas across the country under its &quot;red&quot; category, or those that are of grave concern and have serious threats of armed election violence.</p><p>Another 156 areas are considered &quot;orange&quot;.</p><p>These are areas of immediate concern where there are serious armed threats. </p><div><strong>KONTRA DAYA: 733 CAMPAIGN VIOLATIONS TALLIED</strong></div><p>Kontra Daya convenor Danilo Arao said at the same forum that there are 733 verified reports of campaign violations as of April 11.</p><p>Arao cited numbers from the alliance Vote Report PH, which also found 10 deaths associated with election-related violence since February 11.</p><p>Red-tagging — accusing people and groups of being part of the decades-old communist armed struggle — was the most common type of violation that Kontra Daya recorded.</p><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/N6EDU4ZsbHc?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>Authorities are preparing to file a case on the killing of a staff member of Bulacan 3rd District congressional candidate Victor Silverio and two others.</p>

Authorities are preparing to file a case on the killing of a staff member of Bulacan 3rd District congressional candidate Victor Silverio and two others.