By BEHN FER. HORTALEZA, JR. & LIWAY M. YPARRAGUIRRE

SAN CARLOS CITY –Two unidentified gunmen pumped several bullets into Mayor Julian Resuello here yesterday evening as he was shaking hands with the audience at the city plaza during the coronation night for the city fiesta queen.

The mayor was airlifted to the St. Luke’s Medical Center at 9:30 a.m today after an emergency operation was conducted on him to save some internal organs at the Blessed Family Doctors Hospital in the city.

Accompanying the seriously wounded city executive was his son, Vice Mayor Julier “Ayoy” Resuello, PNP Regional Director Leopoldo Bataoil who rushed to the city hours after the shooting ; and congressional candidate Rachel Arenas who was with the mayor greeting the crowd when the shooting incident happened at about 10:15 p.m. inside the city auditorium.

Witnesses said Resuello was going around shaking hands with people in the jampacked auditorium when they heard successive shots and saw the mayor fall. SPO1 Jaime Almonite, his police bodyguard was also shot by the two suspects who immediately fled after seeing the mayor slump bloodied.

A civilian aide and supporter identified as Jojo Martinez, 41, tried to pull the mayor away from the range of fire but he was also hit. He was declared dead on arrival at the hospital.

Police recovered two empty 9 mm. pistol shells and one empty cal. 45 shell at the scene of the crime.

Police identified the other wounded persons, aside from Almonite and Resuello, as Jonathan dela Cruz, 34, civilian aide; Alwin Fermin, 29, bystander; Paolo Bino, 14, bystander; and Reyna Munoz, 9, bystander.

City Police Chief Johnny Bacbac said he was helping man security at the entrance and checking on some 20 policemen posted around the auditorium when he heard the shots and quickly responded but the assailants lost themselves in the panicked crowd. He and his men brought the wounded mayor to the Blessed Family Hospital while the other wounded persons were taken to the Virgen Milagrosa Hospital.

At presstime, before boarding the helicopter that brought his father to Quezon City for more major operations, a shaken Vice Mayor Resuello said offhand, he could not say any motive for the attack on the mayor.

He asked all city residents and friends to just pray for the survival of his father and stay calm amid the heightened political tension in the city.

An additional two teams of the Police Regional Mobile Group from the regional police office have arrived at presstime to help the San Carlos City police prevent any possible escalation of violence. Two RMG teams have been deployed to the city the past weeks, in line with the declaration of San Carlos City as an “area of immediate concern” by police and election authorities.