Batangas councilor shot dead

MANILA, Philippines - A lone gunman shot dead an incumbent municipal councilor of Mataas na Kahoy town in Batangas last Saturday, police said.

Councilor Joel Hernandez, 33, sustained three gunshot wounds in different parts of the body and died on the spot.

Chief Superintendent Rolando Añonuevo, Calabarzon police director, created a special task force to determine the motive behind Hernandez’s killing and go after the triggerman.

In his report to Añonuevo, Senior Superintendent Alberto Supapo, Batangas police director, said Hernandez was in his Tres Marias junkshop in Batangay 11, Mataas na Kahoy town when the gunman barged in at around 11:55 a.m. Saturday.

Supapo said the gunman fired three shots with a caliber .45 pistol before fleeing on board a unlicensed red Kawasaki motorcycle toward San Salvador, Lipa City.

A team from the provincial crime laboratory headed by Chief Inspector Jupri Delantar recovered three caliber .45 spent shells and two slugs at the crime scene. – Non Alquitran, Cecille Suerte Felipe, Ed Amoroso and Arnell Ozaeta