MANILA, Philippines—A barangay captain of Navotas City on a coffee break was shot dead Tuesday morning by two men who left behind a letter saying the attack was a form of punishment for crimes the victim allegedly committed.
Edwin Abella, head of Barangay North Bay Boulevard South, was shot in the head by the suspects in front of his home on Alakaak Street at around 7:45 a.m., said PO2 Ibrahim Guiama.
Abella was rushed to Tondo Medical Center in Manila but was pronounced dead on arrival.
Guiama said two of the victim’s neighbors saw the assailants gun down the victim as he was seated on a chair outside his house drinking coffee.
Police found six empty shells of three kinds of hand guns at the crime scene.
Before fleeing, the attackers left a letter listing the victim’s alleged crimes and illegal activities, police said.
The letter was written on stationery of the “Partisano, Armadong Operatiba ng Partido Marxista-Leninista ng Pilipinas” Guiama said.
Among the crimes attributed to Abella were rape, coddling syndicates dealing with illegal drugs and estafa.
The case is under investigation by a task force of the Northern Police District, Supt. Rio Gatacillo, NPD public information chief, said.