North Cotabato village chair, aide slain

CARMEN, North Cotabato—Unidentified gunmen shot dead a village chair and his aide in Carmen town, North Cotabato province on Friday evening, in what police believed was motivated by robbery or personal grudge.

Chief Inspector Julius Malcontento, Carmen police chief, identified the slain village official as Renato Ortiz, chair of Barangay General Luna and his aide and farm caretaker, Rey Nobleza.

Malcontento said the victims were on a motorbike and were heading home when they were ambushed in Sitio Tabulon in Barangay General Luna around 5:45 p.m.

“Chairman Ortiz was carrying P100,000 in cash inside his sling bag, which his family said was missing. It was taken by the perpetrators,” Malcontento told the Inquirer on Saturday.

Ortiz died from eight bullet wounds while Nobleza had nine bullet injuries, Malcontento said.

Superintendent Bernard Tayong, North Cotabato police spokesperson, said provincial police director Senior Superintendent Jonathan Tangonan had ordered a manhunt with the help of the Army’s 602nd Infantry Brigade based here.