Vice mayor’s brod slain

The brother of the vice mayor of Malinao town was killed while his security aide was wounded when shot by still unknown gunmen after they attended a wedding ceremony in a chapel in Barangay Estancia on Friday.

Superintendent Renato Bataller, Bicol police spokesperson, said Nelson Morales, a Makati City engineer and brother of Malinao Vice Mayor Alice Morales, said the Morales siblings were walking, along with Nelson’s security aide Raul Capitan, a retired Army soldier, at the chapel grounds after a wedding ceremony when three gunmen approached them.

Two of the gunmen fired at Nelson and Capitan while the third gunman poked his gun at Alice. Capitan and Alice’s security aide drew their hand guns and fired back but the assailants immediately fled on board a motorcycle.

Capitan was wounded in the attack which occurred at around 10:30 a.m. in the chapel grounds. Nelson and Capitan were rushed to the Cope General Hospital in Tabaco City but Nelson died at around 2 p.m.

Bataller said Nelson suffered three bullet wounds in his abdomen. Police were still determining the identities of the suspect and the motive of the killing. Nelson reportedly planned to run for mayor in Malinao in next year’s election. Mar S. Arguelles, Inquirer Southern Luzon