Cops arrest 1 of 2 suspects in murder of village chief

COTABATO CITY, Philippines — Policemen arrested one of two suspects in the murder of a barangay chairman in a pursuit operation in Tambulig, Zamboanga del Sur on Thursday night, March 27.

In a report released to media outfits on Friday, March 28, the Police Regional Office-9 stated that the suspect is now detained, to be prosecuted for the murder last Tuesday of Leopoldo Paler Atad in Barangay Macleodes in Polanco, Zamboanga del Norte.

The 43-year-old male suspect was cornered in Barangay Balucot in Tambulig, Zamboanga del Sur by combined agents of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group 9 and personnel of different PRO-9 units, an operation carried out with the help of confidential informants aware of his presence in the area.

He was positively identified by witnesses as one of the two men riding a motorcycle together who killed Atad with a pistol in a daring attack in Barangay Macleodes.

Atad was the chairman of Barangay Macleodes, a staunch supporter of the joint peace and security activities of their local government unit and the Polanco Municipal Police Station.  

The duo had immediately escaped using their motorcycle after killing Atad, amid the commotion triggered by the gunshots that reverberated through the scene.

Radio reports on Friday morning stated that local officials and witnesses to the atrocity helped agents of CIDG-9 and members of different units under PRO-9 locate in Barangay Balucot in Tambulig one of the two killers of Atad, now locked in a police detention facility.