Village chief gunned down in Palayan City

PALAYAN CITY — A village head was killed by a lone gunman inside his residence here on Tuesday morning, police said.

The victim was identified as Beato Pascua, 54. He was elected unopposed in Barangay Ganaderia last year.

Citing accounts of witnesses, police said the masked suspect arrived around 9 a.m. at the house of Pascua and even managed to greet the village chief.

When Pascua was about to go to his terrace, the assailant shot him using a 9mm caliber pistol, police added.

Investigators said the suspect fled on board a motorcycle.

Relatives brought Pascua to a nearby hospital but he was declared dead on arrival.

Investigators recovered three spent shells for a 9mm caliber pistol from the scene.

The victim’s wife, Macrina, said politics could be the primary motive behind the attack. /kga