Another village chief slain in Batangas

BATANGAS , Philippines   â€“ A day after a grenade blast in Laurel town killed a barangay chairman and his wife, another village chief was killed in an ambush by motorcycle-riding men in Tanauan City Saturday night, authorities said.

The victim, Anselmo Malabanan, chairman of Barangay Pagaspas in Tanauan City, had just come from a cockpit in Malvar town and was on his way home aboard his Mitsubishi Adventure when he was waylaid along the highway in Barangay Darasa at around 7:30 p.m. Saturday, said Senior Superintendent Omega Jireh Fidel, Batangas police director.

Malabanan died on the spot from bullet wounds in the head. Police were still clueless on the killing.

Malabanan had three companions during the attack but they managed to get off the car and run away.

Tanauan Mayor Antonio Halili said he will put up a P100,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Malabanan’s killers.

Halili said politics, business rivalry and personal grudge were the three angles being eyed in the killing.

He added though that they have a person in mind as possible mastermind but “it is still premature to link him (as) the police are still working hard to identify the perpetrators.”

Halili said Malabanan’s companions have surfaced at the village chief’s wake and were willing to give their statements.

Halili said Malabanan was one of his avid supporters during the local elections, and that he supported him, too, in the barangay polls where he won by a slight margin over his opponent.

Last Friday night, Nestor Rodriguez, chairman of Barangay Buso-buso in Laurel town and his wife, Eusebia, were killed after a grenade planted in their vehicle exploded.

Former barangay councilor and now tanod (village watchman) Jaime Sarmiento and his businessman-borther Maximo were wounded in the explosion that was caused by a grenade placed between the driver and front passenger seats. 

Police said the victims had come from the house of Laurel Mayor Randy James Amo and were on their way home when the blast ripped through their L-200 van at 11:15 p.m. Friday. 

– With Ed Amoroso