SunStar: Pampanga village chief gunned down

Unidentified motorcycle-riding men gunned down a supporter of a mayoral candidate in Pampanga along a dike in Suklayan village in Arayat town in Pampanga province Friday. Sun Star Pampanga reported Sunday that the victim was identified as Eugenio Manicdao, 52, Candading village chief and supporter of candidate Chito Espino. Espino is running for re-election in Arayat town under President Arroyo’s Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino (Kampi) party. Pampanga provincial police chief Sr. Supt. Ernald Singian said Manicdao was driving a barangay patrol vehicle on the way to Espino’s headquarters in Poblacion village when he was shot. He said the incident took place at about 4:30 p.m. Initial investigation showed the suspects were tailing the victim and upon reaching Barangay Suklayan overtook his vehicle and shot him in the head and body. Manicdao died on the spot. Police collected four spent cal-.45 pistol shells at the crime scene. Also, Singian said the victim was a former member of the Hukbong Mapagpalaya ng Bayan (HMB), a breakaway group of the New People’s Army (NPA). Meanwhile, unidentified armed men on Wednesday strafed the house of one of the supporters of Apalit mayoral bet Jun Tetangco of the Lakas-CMD. Police said Francisco Castro, 48, of Balucuc village in Apalit, and Tetangco’s supporter, was unharmed but his Toyota Revo and Land Cruiser were peppered with M-16 and .45-caliber pistol bullets. - GMANews.TV