Village exec who ran but lost vs Speaker in 2016 gunned down

TAGUM CITY – Gunmen on a motorcycle shot dead a village councilman here on Monday.

The victim, Richard Dexter Welborn, died of multiple gunshot wounds after being attacked in Barangay (village) Magugpo North past 5 p.m., Senior Insp. Catherine dela Rey, spokesperson of Southern Mindanao police regional office said.

The victim ran but lost to Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez in the 2016 elections.

Quoting a report from Tagum City police station, dela Rey said Welborn, a resident of Purok (Community) Gabayan 1, Barangay Visayan Village, was traveling on his motorcycle when attacked by one of two persons riding on a motorbike along a road in Purok Matinabangon.

Witnesses told police one of the assailants took the victim’s backpack before speeding off, the regional police spokesperson said.

Senior Insp. Anjanette Tirador, Tagum City police spokesperson, said the victim was an incumbent councilman of Visayan Village and was among three other candidates who ran against Alvarez for the Davao del Norte 1st district congressional race in the May 2016 elections.