Municipal councilor shot dead in Negros Occidental town

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines—A municipal councilor in Negros Occidental who was running for a third term was shot dead while sleeping inside his house in Moises Padilla town, about 49 km south of here.

Councilor Jolomar Bañares Hilario, 51, was sleeping when armed men barged into his house in Barangay Inolingan and shot him around 6 a.m. on Saturday.

According to the police report, the armed men arrived on board a truck and identified themselves as members of the New People’s Army.

Based on witnesses’ account, the armed men went straight to his room and shot the councilor.

Hilario’s wife Michelle, who is the incumbent barangay captain, and their children were not harmed and were told to drop to the floor.

“After the incident, they fled towards Barangay Quintin Remo, Moises Padilla, Negros Occidental,” the police report said.

Hilario sustained multiple gunshot wounds in his face and body with his neck almost cut off , a witness said.

The victim was brought to Enrico Roa Elumba Clinic around 7 a.m. but was declared dead on arrival by attending the physician, the report added.

The victim is a former barangay captain of Inolingan before he ran for councilor in 2013. He used to be the president of the Association of Barangay Councils.

He is running under the slate of Mayor Magdaleno Peña who is running for a second term.

Peña recently announced that he was instrumental in providing the Army with information that led to the arrest of NPA leader Frank Fernandez and his wife Cleofe Lagtapon.