Cotabato City spokesperson shot dead

COTABATO CITY –The spokesperson of the city government here was gunned down while he was taking his breakfast at a carinderia on Monday.

Rolen Balquin, chief of the Cotabato City public safety office, said Aniceto “Boy” Rasalan, 58, secretary of Cotabato City Mayor Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi, was shot at past 7 a.m. on Monday as he was taking his breakfast at Se Hua carinderia, a roadside restaurant along Notre Dame Avenue here.

Balquin said Rasalan was alone when shot by still unidentified gunmen.

He said the suspects were two men riding in tandem on a motorbike who arrived at the restaurant and shot Rasalan in the head.

Rasalan was declared dead on arrival at the Cotabato Regional and Medical Center.

A former journalist, Rasalan had survived an attempt for his life in 2015. He was then driving a van heading for work when two men riding in tandem came close to the driver’s side and shot him.

He was hit in the face but survived the July 21 shooting five years ago.