Two Abra barangay heads shot dead

BANGUED, Abra — Violence marred the Arya Abra celebration marking the province’s 85th founding anniversary as two barangay chairmen of Penarrubia town were gunned down here yesterday by still unidentified assailants.

The victims, Reynaldo Bataller and Restituto Venoza, heads of Barangays Namarabar and Tattawa, respectively, were reportedly watching a parade yesterday morning when they were shot.

Police found an empty caliber .45 shell and a slug of a still undetermined weapon at the crime scene at Zone 4 here, according to PO1 Posedio Abellera.

Both victims were armed when they were killed. Abellera said Venoza had a caliber .22 revolver with eight live bullets, while the caliber .45 automatic Bataller was believed carrying was missing. Only an extended magazine with 11 live bullets was recovered from Bataller.

"We still don’t have a motive and suspects for the daytime killing," said Abellera.

He, however, said they were looking into the claim of Bataller’s wife that he had an altercation last January with a councilor of Lagayan town who resided in the victim’s barangay.

The two slain barangay officials were reportedly close to Penarrubia Mayor Antonio Dumes-ag.

Earlier, two other barangay chairmen, both league presidents and ex-officio municipal councilors in Pilar and Langiden towns, were gunned down.

Another violent incident was the bombing of the residence of Julimar Trinidad, head of the provincial personnel services division and a close aide of Gov. Vicente Valera. The blast wrecked Trinidad’s car.

Communist rebels operating in Abra recently revealed that Mayor Mailed Molina of Bucloc town was on their "hit list" for alleged "blood debts" to the revolutionary movement. — With Artemio Dumlao