Monday, April 02, 2007
Gunmen attack town mayor's house in Zambo Sur, 1 killed (9:25 a.m.)
By Bong Garcia
PAGADIAN CITY -- Heavily armed men attacked the residence of a town mayor Sunday night, killing one person in Dimataling, 45 kilometers west of this provincial capital of Zamboanga del Sur province, authorities said.
Reports reaching this city said the unidentified gunmen opened fire at the house of Dimatling Mayor Haniel Baya about 9:30 p.m. in Barangay Tingabolong.
The police reported that Mayor Baya was unhurt, but his truck man was killed in the attack. The victim was not immediately identified in the police report.
Police are still trying to determine the motive in the attack but did not discount possibility it could be an election related incident, citing the town was listed as among the Commission on Elections' areas of concern.
The town was also noted to be infested with New People's Army (NPA), operating in the Baganian peninsula.
Baya, a re-electionist under the Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC), was an ex-government militia leader before joining politics.(Sunnex) |
