Another village chief shot dead in Isabela

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya, Philippines – With the barangay elections fast approaching, another village chief in Isabela was gunned down by motorcycle-riding men before dawn yesterday.

Reports identified the victim as Rosendo Segismundo, chairman of Barangay Anonang in San Guillermo town, who died from multiple gunshot wounds.

It was the third killing of a village official in Isabela and the sixth in northern Luzon in less than two months.

This developed as two barangay councilmen and a tanod (watchman) were shot dead in their office in Biñan City, Laguna last Sunday night.

Police are now reviewing the closed-circuit TV footage to identify the killers of councilmen Edwin Salosa and Ogie Villavicencio and tanod Arnaldo Salosa. Another tanod, Cristobal Sorilla, was wounded.

Inspector Gerry Valdez, San Guillermo police chief, said Segismundo was with his sister-in-law onboard a tricycle to deliver bananas in Alicia town when they were waylaid in front of the Calaccab Elementary School in adjoining Angadanan town at around 4 a.m. yesterday.

The attackers, wearing ski masks and camouflage short pants, were reportedly armed with a 9-mm pistol based on the five empty shells found at the crime scene.

Last Sept. 4, Arnold Pastor, 47, chairman of Barangay Loria in Alicia town, was also gunned down. His wife, Leilanie, 45, who was with him onboard their Toyota Hilux, was also killed.

This came barely two weeks after former barangay chairman and now councilman Rafael Martinez, 47, of Barangay Centro East, Santiago City, was shot dead on Aug. 24.

Martinez, who was set to reclaim his old post in the Oct. 28 barangay elections, had just come from a wake in another barangay when he was attacked.

In North Cotabato, meanwhile, gunmen killed a barangay chairman in Alamada town in an ambush before dawn yesterday, authorities said.

Capt. Tony Bulao, spokesman of the Army’s 602nd Infantry Brigade, said Tanat Salama, chief of Barangay Salama, was to seek re-election in next month’s elections.

Salama was on his way to Barangay Kitub, also in Alamada, onboard a motorcycle when armed men flagged him down and, without warning, shot him with assault rifles. – With John Unson, Arnell Ozaeta