Farmer leader slain in Bataan

Police inspect the crime scene where Bataan farmer leader Honorio Samaniego, 56, was gunned down on Friday morning. (Photo by Greg Refraccion)

HERMOSA, Bataan –– Three unidentified gunmen on Friday killed the president of the farmers’ group Alyansa ng Magsasaka sa Bataan (Almaba) in the backyard of his house, police said.

Police Maj. Jeffrey Onde, Hermosa police chief, said Honorio Samaniego, 56, of Barangay Almacen was washing his hands when he was shot by one of the assailants about 8 a.m.

Samaniego suffered bullet wounds in the head from a still unknown caliber, police said.

Investigators said the three men were seen alighting from a Toyota Innova before approaching the victim’s house.

Witnesses said Samaniego had just come from a farm near his house when attacked.

Samaniego joined the mayoral race in 2016 but lost.

He had also served as a barangay chairman of Almacen for two consecutive terms.

According to his relatives, Samaniego had no known enemy in the community./lzb