Powerlifting official killed

MANILA, Philippines - A vice-president of the Powerlifting Association of the Philippines was shot by still unidentified gunmen Saturday and died on the spot in an eatery in Quezon City. He was 42.

Dominic Cabalza, who is also the vice-president of the Asian Powerlifting Federation and a member of Class ’90 of the Philippine Military Academy, was the second National Sports Association official to die this year after Muaythai chief Robert Valdez early this year.

The remains lie in state at the St. Ignatius Cathedral in Camp Aguinaldo.

Police are reportedly following two leads, one pointing to the possibility that the killing was related to the victim’s work as a civilian agent of the Intelligence Service of the AFP (ISAFP) or could be related to the presence of a woman waiting in the escape car used by the two assailants.

Cabalza, of T. Gener Street, Kamuning, was waiting for his change after eating in an eatery when one of the suspects acted like drunk and bumped into him.

Instead of apologizing, the suspect went berserk, pulled out his gun and shoved it on Cabalza’s face. Cabalza, however, quickly reacted by grappling with the suspect but the other suspect came in and shot him.

The assailants then boarded their getaway black car where the other suspect, reportedly a female, waited. – Joey Villar