NPA kills ex-police chief of Cagayan town

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya, Philippines — A town councilor in Allacapan, Cagayan was shot dead by still unidentified armed men last Thursday afternoon, with communist rebels claiming credit for the hit.

Zaldy Mallari, also the town’s former chief of police, succumbed to bullet wounds after he was gunned down inside his welding shop in Barangay Labben at around 5:45 p.m. 

In a text message sent to The STAR yesterday, New People’s Army (NPA)-Danilo Ben Command spokesman Crispin Apolinario said Mallari was killed for war crimes and human rights abuses during his stint as Allacapan’s chief of police from 2011 to 2013.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines Northern Luzon Command condemned the killing.

Meanwhile, in San Miguel town in Bulacan, a barangay chairman was killed by motorcyle- riding men before noon yesterday.

Generao Lopez, barangay captain of Labne in San Miguel, was smoking in front of a restaurant when he was shot. – Raymund Catindig, Ding Cervantes, Ramon Efren Lazaro, Michael Punongbayan