Murder of Benguet town councilor not political - police

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet –  The Cordillera police said the murder of Tineg town Councilor Rey Tandi and his brother Roy last week was not politically motivated.

This comes as policemen arrested on Friday last week one of the suspects, 30-year-old Dante Zapata, a resident of Sitio Tapayen, Barangay Alaoa, also of Tineg.

Together with a still unidentified assassin,  the Tandi brothers  were ambushed Wednesday last week at at Sitio Bagangaw, Alaoa, Tineg while they were heading home aboard a motorcycle.

Roy Tandi was declared dead on the spot due to multiple gunshot wounds in different parts of his body while Rey Tandi died while undergoing close medical supervision at the Abra Provincial Hospital due to multiple gunshot wounds.

Zapata was arrested by policemen and is now under the custody of Tineg police awaiting the resolution of the provincial prosecutor’s office on the charge of double murder, Cordillera police director Chief Supt. Benjamin Magalong said.

Police are also hunting down the other suspect, Magalong added.