BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya , Philippines – A municipal police chief in Isabela has been relieved from his post following the killings of two barangay chairmen in his jurisdiction.
Chief Inspector Salvador Mangulab was removed as police chief of Angadanan town hours after the pre-dawn fatal shooting of Rosendo Segismundo, chairman of Barangay Anonang in adjoining San Guillermo town, last Tuesday.
Mangulab was replaced by Chief Inspector Christopher Danao in an emergency turnover of command presided over by Senior Superintendent Sotero Ramos Jr., Isabela police director, hours after Segismundo’s killing.
Segismundo, 52, was with his sister-in-law onboard a rented tricycle to deliver bananas in Alicia town when two men waylaid them in Barangay Calaccab, Angadanan at around 4 a.m. Tuesday.
Police said the assailants, wearing ski masks and camouflage short pants, were armed with a 9-mm pistol based on the five empty shells found at the crime scene.
This came barely three weeks after Arnold Pastor, 47, chairman of Barangay Loria, also in Angadanan, was gunned down last Sept. 4. His wife, Leilanie, 45, who was with him onboard their Toyota Hilux, was also killed.
Pastor was also an ex-officio member of the municipal council, being the town’s Liga ng mga Barangay president.
Ramos confirmed to The STAR that Mangulab’s immediate relief had something to do with the killings of two barangay chairmen in his turf.