Cops kill Zambo official's five security escorts

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines – Five security escorts of a southern Philippine town vice mayor were killed after policemen manning a checkpoint opened fire on their convoy, reports said on Saturday. The shooting occurred Friday near a village called Santo Nińo in Turukan town in Zamboanga del Sur province. Vice mayor Wilson Nadang of Labangan town, who was in the convoy, was unhurt in the shooting. Nadang said his group was ambushed, but a police report claimed the politician's convoy did not stop at the checkpoint prompting the security forces to open fire on the unidentified vehicles. "One army soldier, from the 1st Infantry Division, who was escorting the politician, was among those killed. There is an ongoing investigation into the incident," Maj. Eugene Batara, a regional army spokesman, told the GMANews.TV. Aside from the slain soldier, policemen were also escorting the politician, but it was not immediately known if any of them were killed or injured in the shooting. Lt. Gen. Nehemias Pajarito, commander of the 1st Infantry Division, and his deputy Brig. Jovencio Magalso, did not give any statement about the incident and had ignored repeated telephone calls from journalists. - GMANews.TV