Unidentified gunmen kill Bukidnon town councilor — local police

MANILA, Philippines (Updated 4:58 p.m.) — Susan Gayonan, a 64-year-old municipal councilor of Talakag, Bukidnon was shot and killed by two unidentified gunmen at a sari-sari store on Saturday, local police confirmed. 

Per a spot report sent to media Sunday afternoon, witnesses interviewed by police claimed that two men "suddenly appeared" at the store at Purok 2, Brgy. San Antonio, and shot Gayonan. 

Her relatives Dona Mae Timtim, 29, and traffic enforcer Luther Joey Bustillo, 32, were also injured in the crossfire after Timtim was "accidentally hit by a stray bullet while she was inside the sari-sari store." Bustillo was shot after he tried to fight back. 

The suspects fled the scene, heading in the direction of Sitio San Roque, Brgy. San Antonio, and later to Brgy. Dagumbaan in Talakag, Bukidnon.

Gayonan was pronounced dead on arrival by the attending physician at the Talakag Provincial Hospital, while the other two were referred to separate hospitals for treatment.

Scene of the crime operatives recovered the following pieces of evidence from the crime scene: 

• Five pieces of fired cartridge cases of .45 caliber; 
• One steel magazine for cal.45 inserted with six pieces of live ammunition of .45 caliber; 
• One piece of unfired live ammunition of .45 caliber

Police Maj. Dennis Rowell Flores, Talakag police chief, told Philstar.com in a text message that the "primary target" of the killing was Gayonan.

"As of today, we have already a person of interest, and the most probable motive is personal grudge," he said.

Reports said that Gayonan was an undefeated town politician with a reputation for public service. She chaired the Talakag town council committee on agriculture and social services.

Meanwhile, Talakag police said it was conducting a hot pursuit operation against the two suspects, while adjacent police stations were also alerted.

Quarantine control points and intelligence personnel were also deployed in the area for the possible identification and arrests of the suspects.

Town police in its statement also encouraged the public to cooperate with the local police and report any information that might lead to the resolution of the case.