Northern Samar governor's brother gunned down

TACLOBAN CITY , Philippines  – Barely 27 days after a human rights advocate priest was killed in Northern Samar, another nonsense killing happened yesterday afternoon, this time the victim was the younger brother of Gov. Raul Daza and uncle of Rep. Paul Daza of Northern Samar’s first congressional district.

Police Regional Office 8, deputy regional director for operations, Senior Superintendent Gil Hitosis, was tasked to head the special investigation group created by the PNP regional headquarters. Hitosis said the 64-year-old victim Manolo Daza was shot to death around 4:45 p.m. Friday while inside a cockpit arena. It was reported that he was co-owner of the arena located in Barangay 3 at the municipality of Rosario, some 30 kms. west of Catarman, capital of Northern Samar.

Hitosis said that Daza, a businessman, was standing inside the said cockpit and was about to leave the area when four unidentified gunmen suddenly strafed him using a .45 automatic pistol where he was fatally wounded with three bullets hitting his head and body.

The victim was brought to Northern Samar Provincial Hospital but was declared dead on arrival.

Police initial investigation showed that the suspects fled the crime scene on foot going toward the direction of Sitio Midisina of Barangay 3.

“A separate probe team will be tasked to investigate the Daza murder, of course more work, efforts and at the same time appealing again to the witnesses to cooperate and support our men in the field conducting the investigation, this quite alarming but we have to increase the number of our police troops in Northern Samar,” Hitosis said.

In a separate interview, Northern Samar PNP provincial director Senior Superintendent Eusebio Mejos said they have already witnesses who can possibly help them solve the crime.

He, however, admitted that more efforts should be done on their part to preempt more killing incidents in his area of jurisdiction which they have been implementing to prevent crime in the province.    – Miriam Desacada