Pagadian City barangay chairman shot dead

COTABATO CITY— A newly-elected barangay chairman was killed in an ambush while driving his tricycle on his way home in Barangay Lapedian in Pagadian City on Wednesday night.

In separate initial reports released on Thursday morning, the Pagadian City Police Office and the Zamboanga del Sur Provincial Police Office said the victim, Rofoldo Dacol, died from a bullet wound in the upper torso.

Dacol’s tricycle was almost at their frontyard in Barangay Lapedian when his attacker, wearing a red shirt and short pants, emerged from one side of the road, opened fire and ran away.

Dacol was proclaimed elected chairman of Lapedian a day after the October 30, synchronized Barangay and Sangguniang elections, where he reportedly defeated rivals with an overwhelming vote lead.

The commander of the military’s Western Mindanao Command, Army Lt. Gen. William Gonzales and Police Major Gen. Jonnel Estomo, Western Mindanao Area police commander, had separately declared their support in the efforts of the Pagadian City police to put closure on what was an apparent premeditated murder of Dacol.

Estomo had urged witnesses, relatives and supporters of the slain barangay chairman not to hesitate in providing police investigators any vital information that could help hasten efforts in identifying the killer of Dacol.

Estomo said constituents of Dacol in Barangay Lapedian need to patiently give police investigators enough time to wind up with their investigation on the atrocity, which is a requisite for the prosecution of the people behind it.