Another Agusan Sur candidate shot dead

LA PAZ, Agusan del Sur — Another mayoral candidate in the province was gunned down by suspected communist guerrillas while campaigning with his ticket at noon yesterday.

Authorities said Oscar Torralba, 57, who served as this town’s mayor for three consecutive terms until 1998 and who was eyeing a comeback in this year’s elections, was shot thrice by a lone gunman with a caliber .38 pistol while alighting from his vehicle during a campaign sortie in Barangay Comota, some five kilometers from the poblacion.

Torralba’s brother Rufino, the incumbent mayor, was himself abducted and later released by suspected New People’s Army (NPA) rebels early this week.

The NPA command in the Caraga region, in a statement signed by one Ka Derek, said seven municipal mayors were in their hit list.

Shortly before midnight last Monday, re-electionist Mayor Lope Asis of Bayugan town was shot dead by a lone assassin while delivering his campaign speech in Barangay Cagpas.

Both Asis and Torralba belonged to the Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP).

Meanwhile, a Bayugan councilor, Gregorio Burdeos, who belongs to Lakas-NUCD, has been freed by kidnappers who, however, are still holding a vice mayoral candidate, Vicente Encendencia, and two other re-electionist councilors captive.

The four were seized by seven Armalite-wielding men last Tuesday while campaigning in Barangay New Salem.