Town councilor, wife shot to death in Samar

TACLOBAN CITY –– A town councilor and his wife were killed inside their house in a remote village in Paranas town in Samar province on Sunday morning.

Claudio Gabiana, 55, a councilor of the nearby Jiabong town in Samar, and his wife, Asuncion, 56, were shot to death inside their house in Barangay Jose Roño, 36 kilometers away from the town proper of Paranas town.

Staff Sergeant Lito Guillano, police chief of Paranas town, said they were investigating the incident to identify the perpetrator and the motive behind the crime.

Claudio is now serving his last term as councilor of Jiabong town, about 15 kilometers away from Paranas where he acquired a residence. His wife Asuncion was a former chairwoman of Barangay Jose Roño, the police chief said.

Based on their investigation, the gunman managed to sneak into the couple’s house using the kitchen door.

When he found Claudio, the assailant immediately fired at the town councilor several times.

Claudio was hit in different parts of his body, while his wife Asuncion was hit in her left chest.

Rescuers rushed Asuncion to the hospital but physicians declared her dead on arrival.

“We are still conducting our investigation as to the identity of the lone gunman who used a long firearm to kill the victims,” said Guillano in a phone interview.

About four empty shells of a still unknown firearm were found at the crime scene.

The gunman fled towards Motiong town./lzb