JAEN, Nueva Ecija – A village chair was shot dead while watering plants at the border arc of Barangay Lambakin here on Friday.
Police identified the victim as Zoilo de Belen, 56, who was on his first term as head of the village. He died on the spot due to multiple gunshot wounds.
Witnesses said the victim was watering plants at the village boundary when fired at by unidentified suspects on board a black sedan.
His companion, a Bantay Bayan member, was away to get water when the attack happened.
Alex de Belen, the victim's elder brother, said the official had always been confident that nothing bad would happen to him.
"Wala naman kasi siyang kaaway. Napakabuti niyang tao at kapitan (He has no enemies. He was a good man and barangay chairman)," he said in an interview.
De Belen wanted to grow flowers in the area because passersby, particularly cyclists, take photos with the arc, Alex said.
Maj. Baltazar Corpuz, municipal police chief, said they are still digging up angles even the victim's family told probers he had no known enemies.
Mayor Sylvia Austria condemned the killing and urged the police to get de Belen’s killers.
"Si Kapitan Anlo ay mabuting lingkod bayan na laging nakasuporta sa mga programa ng gobyerno (Barangay captain Anlo was a good public servant who always supported the programs of the government)," Austria said. (PNA)
