By NITZ ARANCON and JOEY NACALABAN, Correspondents .
MISAMIS Oriental Gov. Yevgeny Vincente Emano condemned the shooting death of a barangay chairman in Jasaan town yesterday morning even as he called on the police to get the village official’s killers.
Emano’s call came following the gun attack on 53-year-old Alfredo Zapanta, barangay chairman of Danao in Jasaan past 5 am yesterday.
He said the capitol plans to offer a reward for the capture of Zapanta’s killers using the provincial government’s peace and order funds.
Emano urged Misamis Oriental police director Senior Supt. Rolando Destura to ensure a no-nonsense investigation into Zapanta’s killing, and for the police to form a task force that would focus on solving the murder case.
“Daghan atong posibleng gilantaw pero dili nako pangunahan ang atong kapolisan kay nagpadayon pa ang ilang imbestigasyon karon panahona,” said Emano, noting that the murdered barangay chairman was a partisan and was with the Padayon Pilipino.
He said he was also supposed to meet with Zapanta and other barangay chairpersons yesterday.
“Maningkamot ako ug atong kapolisan nga dili muondang sa pagpangita og hustisya sa iyang kamatayon,” Emano said.
Chief Insp. Rogelio Labor Jr., Jasaan police chief, said Zapanta was feeding his hogs when he was attacked in Purok 7, Danao, at around 5:15 am.
Zapanta was shot to the head and lower limbs with a caliber .45 pistol. He was shot at least thrice.
The barangay chairman was rushed to a Jasaan hospital where he was declared dead on arrival.
Labor said the barangay chairman was attacked by at least two armed men who wore black jackets, bonnetsor caps. He was shot at close range.
The victim’s neighbors said the killers also shot and wounded a barking dog as they ran out of the official’s property towards a motorcycle.
Labor said investigators have yet to determine the motive for the killing but added they already have a “person of interest.”
Labor however said investigators were also looking into political reasons and personal grudges as motives for the killing.
Zapanta was a new barangay chairman. Before he took over as chairman of Danao, he served three consecutive office terms as a barangay councilor.
The victim was a resigned employee of the Cooperative Bank of Misamis Oriental.
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