- Advertisement -

By TENG DATU,
Correspondent

COTABATO City — A re-elected municipal councilor has been shot dead at Barangay Romongaob, South Upi, Maguindanao.

- Advertisement -

The shooting incident happened late in the afternoon on Friday, May 27.

Police official identified the victim as certain Warlito Pinuela, 71, a resident of barangay Romongaob, South Upi.

The fatality was a third-termer councilor before he was shot by a still unidentified gunman.

In the investigation conducted by the authorities, the victim was resting outside his residence when a few minutes later, suspects on board a motorcycle barged into their lawn and “without provocation opened fire.

The victim succumbed to six gunshot wounds from .45 pistol following the recovery of the empty shells in the crime scene

Penuela was brought to the nearest hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival.

Police is still investigating the possible motive of the killing but posited that it might be due to a personal grudge.

According to his nephew, a soldier who requested anonymity for fear of reprisal, prior to the incident, his uncle had not received death threats.

Meanwhile, South Upi Mayor Reynalbert Insular believed that the incident might be related to the recently concluded elections.

“Our police see no reason but election related,” Reynalbert Insular, South Upi town mayor-elect, said. “We are also convinced it was related to the recent polls.”

Insular said investigation on the death of Pinuela was continuing and that the police and the military were joining the efforts to bring back normalcy after the election that divided the people of South Upi.

“We the winners are reaching our hands of reconciliation to all the candidates and all the people,” Insular, an independent candidate bested seven other aspirants for the town’s top post.

Police investigation showed that Pinuela was standing in front of his home in Barangay Poblacion Timanan at about 8 p.m. Friday when two men riding tandem on a motorbike arrived.

Without provocation, one of the two suspects opened fire on him. He died from gunshot wounds in various parts of his body. Relatives rushed him to Cotabato City but expired on the way to the hospital.

Responding police recovered empty shells for cal. 45 pistol.

Pinuela was the second elected town councilor killed in Maguindanao since May 9 polls.

Few days after the national and local polls, gunmen shot and killed Hadie Malaguial inside his home in Shariff Aguak, Maguin-danao.

Police said it was election related based on the statement of his relatives who told police investigators that he had been receiving death threats after his election to second term as member of the town council.

Maguindanao Gov. Esmael Toto Mangudadatu has urged the police for speedy investigation so the victims will be given justice they deserved.

He also urged winning political candidates to reach out to their political nemesis so peace and reconciliation will prevail in the province after the election that truly divided the people of Maguindanao.

“I am calling for healing and reconciliation,” he said. (with reports from pna)

Disclaimer

Mindanao Gold Star Daily holds the copyrights of all articles and photos in perpetuity. Any unauthorized reproduction in any platform, electronic and hardcopy, shall be liable for copyright infringement under the Intellectual Property Rights Law of the Philippines.

- Advertisement -