Preacher shot dead in Laoag City

LAOAG CITY, Philippines—A preacher of the Church of Christ was shot and killed by a gunman in front of his house in Barangay 9 here early on Thursday.

Police said Macario Campañano, 40, was standing before his rented residence talking with Derick Calipjo and the latter’s wife, Tonette, at 8:10 a.m. when a man walked up behind the group and shot the pastor in the neck. Witnesses said the gunman casually walked away after the shooting.

Campañano, a native of Burgos town, was rushed to the Gov. Roque Ablan Sr. Memorial Hospital where he died, said Senior Supt. Gerardo Ratuita, Ilocos Norte police director.

Police recovered a spent shell from a .45-cal. pistol at the crime scene.

Ratuita said police were checking if the shooting was related to either a political or business dispute, noting that Campañano was also the provincial coordinator of the party-list group 1st Kabagis (Kabalikat ng Bayan Ginhawang Sangkatauhan) and a distributor of a supplement drink.

Campañano was attacked only a few meters from the provincial capitol, in the vicinity of Laoag’s business district, an area surrounded by jeepney and bus terminals.

Ratuita said the Church of Christ was not known to be connected with the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP) which groups five Protestant denominations.

An online search showed the Church of Christ congregation holds to a set of Protestant beliefs but its members claim not to be Protestants.

The UCCP is a union of the Disciples of Christ USA, Presbyterians, Evangelical United Brethren, Philippine Methodists and the Congregational Church.