Kalinga town mayor shot after his car hits a dog

MANILA, Philippines - The mayor of Pasil town in Kalinga was shot and wounded by a man after the local executive’s car reportedly ran over a dog in the capital, Tabuk City, on Saturday night, police said.

Pasil Mayor James Edduba was rushed to the Tabuk Provincial Hospital and later transferred to the St. Paul Hospital in Tuguegarao, Cagayan for a bullet wound in the hip.

Senior Superintendent Victor Wanchakan, Kalinga police director, said Edduba is now in stable condition.  

Quoting Wanchakan, Superintendent Davy Vicente Lim-mong, spokesman of the Cordillera Administrative Region police, said the shooting incident took place at around 7:30 p.m. Saturday in Barangay Magnao, Tabuk City after the Ford pick-up truck bearing Edduba and his companions hit the dog.

Police have withheld the gunman’s identity pending follow-up operations. A joint team of the Tabuk police, Provincial Security Company and Provincial Intelligence Branch is hunting him down.

Meanwhile, a Special Investigation Task Group Edduba was formed and CAR police director Chief Superintendent Isagani Nerez tapped Wanchakan to head the probe and the manhunt against the mayor’s attacker.