CEBU (Updated) -- Daanbantayan, Cebu Mayor Vicente Loot was wounded after he accidentally pulled the trigger of a firearm inside the vehicle of his friend, a retired police officer, on Wednesday night, May 30.
The public official, who was tagged by President Rodrigo Duterte as a drug protector, suffered a gunshot wound in the left thigh.
The slug exited the left calf, said Senior Inspector Adrian Nalua, Daanbantayan police chief.
Loot's wife, Maria Luisa, said in radio interviews that her husband was out of danger.
Investigation showed Loot came from the wake of his deceased supporter in Barangay Lanao before the accidental shooting happened past 8 p.m. He was accompanied by two retired police officers.
On his way home, he boarded the vehicle of one of the retired police officers. He sat in the passenger seat.
"Accordingly, siya ang nakatama mismo sa sarili niya dahil may itinabi daw siyang baril na hindi naman sa kanya kundi sa dati nyang aide. Nakisakay siya sa sasakyan, unknowingly loaded ang baril at tinamaan ang kanyang hita," said Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Oscar Albayalde.
Loot told Nalua that he noticed a hard object underneath him. When he tried to get it out of the seat, he accidentally pulled the trigger and the gun went off.
He was rushed to Daanbantayan District Hospital for immediate treatment.
Nalua said they are still investigating the incident as they failed to recover the gun.
Cebu Provincial Police Office Director Manuel Javier Abrugena ordered Nalua on Thursday, May 31, to look for the firearm, which would form part of the investigation.
Abrugena said Loot was prohibited from carrying firearms after Duterte tagged him as a drug protector.
Loot's supervisory power over the local police was stripped from him by the National Police Commission.
But lawyer Russel Pernites, Loot's spokesperson, said the incident was accidental, stressing Loot has no knowledge about the gun.
He said Loot already received medical attention and was "advised to rest to aid the healing process."
Last May 13, Loot and his family survived the attack of five armed men in New Maya Port in Daanbantayan, but three of his employees and a civilian were wounded. (KAL/With Third Anne Malonzo/VoxPop Philippines)