Manila councilman gunned down

MANILA, Philippines - A 49-year-old barangay councilman was shot dead in Sta. Cruz, Manila shortly before midnight Sunday.

Police are still trying to determine the motive for the shooting as relatives of Rogelio Yanga, a councilman of Barangay 368, Zone 37, District 3, have yet to give their statements on the incident.

PO3 Jaime Gonzales Jr. said Yanga was using his cellular phone along Antipolo street at around 11:30 p.m. when a man approached him. Yanga reportedly asked the man who he was looking for, but the man pulled out a handgun and shot him.

A passerby, later identified as Edwin Pablo, 39, tried to assist Yanga. The attacker shot at him but missed. The gunman then boarded a motorcycle driven by a cohort and sped away.