Gun attack kills ex-village chief, injures pal

A FORMER village official and later employed by the Provincial Government was killed while his companion injured in a gun attack in front of a cockpit in the province of Zamboanga del Norte, a police official disclosed Monday.

Zamboanga Peninsula police spokesman Ariel Huesca said the incident took place around 6:35 p.m. Sunday in the village of Tuburan, Katipunan, Zamboanga del Norte.

Chief Inspector Huesca identified the fatality as Benjamin Ampal, 41, the former village chief of Carupay and provincial government casual employee.

Wounded was Perlito Escudero, who was hit in the back, Huesca said.

Police investigation showed the victims were standing in front of the cockpit in Tuburan village when the suspects riding tandem in a motorcycle arrived.

The back rider alighted and pulled a gun and shot Ampal six times and later also shot Escudero, he said.

Six empty shells and a slug of a caliber .45 pistol were recovered at the crime scene, the police said, adding that manhunt operation to capture the culprits is underway. (Bong Garcia)