Village chairman gunned down in Zamboanga Sibugay

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines - Unidentified gunmen killed Wednesday night a village chairman in Tungawan town, Zamboanga Sibugay province, according to police here.

The police identified the slain victim as Arnel Mapanao dela Cruz, 47, village chairman of Upper Tungawan and candidate for town councilor.

Police Chief Inspector Rogelio Alabata, spokesman of the Police Regional Office 9 (PRO), said the victim was shot about 6:15 p.m. by three unidentified suspects with caliber .45 pistols near his house at Purok 4, Baranagy Upper Tungawan.

Police Senior Superintendent Cleve Taboso, provincial director of the Zamboanga Sibugay Police, said the victim was driving a motorcycle on his way home from the cockpit arena when his attention was called by the suspects.

Taboso said one of the suspects pulled a caliber .45 pistol and shot Dela Cruz several times killing him on the spot.

The suspects fled towards the direction of Zamboanga City.

The gun slaying of Dela Cruz was the second in more than two months when gunmen shot another chairman of Barangay Cayamcam identified as Carmelo Banguangua on Nov. 19, 2015.

Banguangua initially survived the attack that left his wife Margarita and another supporter dead.

However, Banguangua was killed two weeks later.

Police said Dela Cruz and Banguangua were supporters of the late Tungawan Mayor Randy Climaco who was killed in an ambush last year in Barangay Cayamcam hours after filing his candidacy to run for vice mayor in his municipality.

Police disclosed that Banguangua was allegedly one of the witnesses in the ambush incident.

Taboso said the killing of Dela Cruz could be election-related.

Police forces were deployed in the area to defuse the brewing tension in the area.

Police earlier cited Tungawan town as area of concern for the May polls following incidents of killings of candidates.