Village official shot dead by bike-riding hitman

A VILLAGE official was gunned down yesterday morning while two others were injured in a shooting spree at a neighborhood in Quezon City.

Police said the gunman did not leave any spent shells behind that could serve as evidence.

“The gunman used a paper or plastic bag to cover his gun, which may have caught every spent shell,” according to case investigator PO3 Jaime Jimena.

Jimena identified the victim as Henry Capellan, 62, a resident of Area 5 in Villa Beatris Subdivision in Barangay (village) Old Balara, and a lupong tagapamayapa. He died on the spot at around 7 a.m. after the gunman shot him in neighboring Barangay Holy Spirit.

The wounded were identified as Edgar Cabides, 37, who got shot in his lower left abdomen, and Rogelio Balmores, 60, who got wounded in the right leg.

Balmores told police that he was just sitting in front of a house along Kaligtasan Street when he saw the gunman firing shots at Capellan.

The assailant then boarded a motorcycle driven by another man and quickly escaped.

Police learned that the victim also operated a money-lending business and said the attack might be related to his business. Julie M. Aurelio