South Cotabato village chief hacked to death

KORONADAL CITY, Philippines – A village chief was killed and a tanod (village watchman) was seriously injured after a supposedly mentally ill man hacked them outside a barangay hall in a nearby town last Tuesday, police said yesterday.

Killed was Rolando Galao, 47, barangay captain of Lam-apos in Banga town, known as the “corn capital” of South Cotabato.

Galao sustained severe hack wounds all over the body and his head was reportedly almost severed.

The suspect, farmer Ronilo Bautista, 44, was shot dead by a responding member of the Civilian Volunteer Organization as he was reportedly trying to attack other people.