South Cotabato village councilman slain in ambush

POLOMOLOK, South Cotabato – Unidentified gunmen shot dead a village councilman here and injured his wife in an early evening shooting on Saturday, police said Sunday.

Chief Supt. Eliseo Tam Rasco, police regional director for Region 12, identified the slain official as Dima Macaludos, 45, a village council member of Barangay Lumakil, Polomolok, South Cotabato.

His wife, Rohania, 42, was also injured but is now in stable condition at Polomolok District Hospital.

Rasco said the couple was onboard a motorbike driven by the village official heading home from the town proper at 6:30 p.m.  

As they reached Purok Maguindanao, Barangay Lumakil, one of two men on a separate motorbike shot Macaludos in the head and body.

His wife was hit in her leg.   

Macaludos was rushed by responding police to Howard Hubbard Hospital but later died due to head injuries.

A manhunt for the suspects had been launched.

Supt. Samuel Cadungon, Polomolok town police chief, said family feud between the victim and the suspects could be the motive of the murder. /je