TACURONG CITY, Sultan Kudarat, Philippines – Two village councilors were killed in separate gun attacks Sunday and Monday in President Quirino, Sultan Kudarat province, and Paglat, Maguindanao del Sur.
Maj. Davis Dulawan, police chief of President Quirino, identified one slain councilor as Mahadi Khalipapa of Barangay Malingon, who was with his wife when attacked.
He said Khalipapa and his wife were on a motorbike driven by Khalipapa when ambushed by unidentified gunmen on May 29.
The village official died on the spot and his wife was slightly injured and was taken to a local hospital.
In an interview, Dulawan appealed to the town residents to help the police identify the culprits.
In Paglat, Maguindanao del Sur, the other fatality was a former village councilor in Barangay Damalusay, Nassr Mangetog, 54, of Barangay Damalusya in Paglat town.
He was attacked on Monday afternoon, according to town police chief Lt. Amer Hussein Disomangcop.
“He was tilling his farm lot and took a short breather when an unidentified man arrived and shot him without provocation,” Disomangcop said.
Police could not determine as of this writing the motive of the attacks and whether these were related to the upcoming barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections this year.