Shooting in Bulacan kills election candidate's social media operator

Three people were killed in a shooting in San Rafael, Bulacan, on March 21. The victims included Bryan Villaflor, a 27-year-old IT specialist, his girlfriend Jam, and his security aide Jayvee Mariano. The attack happened while they were driving along Maharlika Highway. The police reported that the shooting occurred around 3:15 p.m. Villaflor's vehicle was shot at by suspects in another car. Villaflor and Mariano died at the scene, while Jam was declared dead upon arrival at a nearby hospital. Witnesses indicated that the suspects fired multiple shots at the victims' car. Surveillance footage showed the attackers stopping their vehicle to continue shooting at the Ford Everest, even after it had pulled over. The crime scene yielded 25 spent cartridges of likely caliber 5.56 ammunition. Villaflor worked as a social media operator for Victor Silverio, a congressional candidate in Bulacan. He and the others were heading to a supermarket in Baliwag City when they were attacked. Silverio's mother, Rep. Lorna Silverio, confirmed that Villaflor was part of her son's campaign team. Victor Silverio expressed outrage over the loss of Villaflor, calling for justice. He described Villaflor as a friend and an advocate who was taken from them in a brutal manner.