News update Village councilor in Cagayan shot dead

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya — Three unidentified gunmen shot dead a village official in the northern province of Cagayan Friday but left behind a witness to the crime, a police report said Sunday.

Police have identified the victim as Mardy Foronda, 36, councilor of Quinawegan village in Buguey town in Cagayan province.

Buguey police said the victim was supervising workers at his farm lot at about 5:00 pm on Friday when three male suspects on board a motorcycle fired at him using firearms various calibers.

Foronda died instantly according to the report, but his companion, 49-year-old Eduardo Unday, managed to run for safety as the killers started shooting at him.

Recovered from the crime scene were seven empty shells and one unspent M16-caliber bullet, four empty shells and a magazine with 12 M14 bullets, and six spent .45 shells.

Senior Superintendent Mao Aplasca, Cagayan police director, told GMANews.TV they are looking at several angles to the killing but said it could be politically motivated.

“It’s possible that the killing is political in nature since the victim is an elected official but we will look deeper into this because the killers used high-powered guns," he said.

Aplasca also believed that the killers, to serve a purpose, intentionally left the empty shells. “Masyadong marami ang nakitang basyo ng bala sa crime scene galing sa iba’t ibang klase pa ng baril. Baka sinadya ‘yun para lituhn ang mga imbestigador natin (There were too many empty shells from different types of guns at the crime scene. Maybe it was deliberately left there to confuse our investigators.)," he said. Authorities are now tracking the suspects, while the witness is under police protection. —With Jerrie Abella/VS