A GOVERNMENT employee was shot dead on Sunday, March 17, at the entrance to a cockpit in the village of Culabay, Tabina, Zamboanga del Sur.

Juan Monterola, 58, a casual employee of Tabina municipal government, sustained multiple gunshot wounds and died on the spot.

Police Major Helen Galvez, Police Regional Office-Zamboanga Peninsula information officer, said Monterola was standing at the entrance to the cockpit at around 2:30 p.m. Monday, March 18, when two unidentified persons approached him and shot him several times.

Six empty shells of caliber .45 pistol were recovered at the crime scene.

Galvez said the perpetrators fled aboard a motorcycle towards the village of Baganian.

She said an investigation is being conducted to determine the motive of the attack and identify the perpetrators. (Bong Garcia/SunStar Philippines)