Samar mayor shot dead

TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines – Two unidentified men gunned down a town mayor in Samar and also wounded his nephew late Thursday, police said.

Regional police director Chief Superintendent Mario Sandiego said Carlos de la Cruz, town mayor of Matuguinao, Samar, died from a gunshot wound in the chest while being treated at a hospital in Catbalogan.

The victim’s nephew, identified as Joel Adel, an auditor of the regional Commission on Audit, was last reported in critical condition at the same hospital.

De la Cruz was in front of his residence in Catbalogan when two men riding tandem on a motorcycle approached and shot the victim at close range.

One of the gunmen then approached and lobbed a grenade at the mayor’s house, wounding his nephew, police said. 

Catbalogan police chief Superintendent Ramil Ramirez said they are not ruling out the possibility that the killing may have been politically motivated.

“We are still in the process of gathering all information we could use to solve this case,” he said.

Ramirez admitted they have yet to interview witnesses.

On the other hand, Matuguinao Vice Mayor Aran Boller called for an immediate investigation of the incident.

Boller made the appeal as he denied being involved in the killing of De la Cruz.

“I might be suspected, you know how politics is, yet we are hoping for an immediate and fair treatment of the investigation,” Boller said.

Boller earlier announced his intention to run against De la Cruz in the 2010 local elections. – Miriam Desacada