Barangay captain slain 4 days before polls

ANTIPOLO CITY, Rizal – Just four days before election day, a barangay chairman in San Mateo, this province was gunned down while driving in slowmoving traffic along Marcos Highway in this city the other day.

Senior Police Officer 3 Carlo Tamondong, officer-on-case, said Danilo Laciste, 62, barangay chairman of Pintong Bukawe, San Mateo, was shot dead by two unidentified gunmen at 12:40 p.m. in Sitio Upper Inuman, Barangay Inarawan, here.

Tamondong said Laciste was driving a Toyota Tamaraw FX with license plates SEU-948 during the attack. His brother, George who is a reelectionist kagawad in Barangay Pitong Bukawe, said the victim was talking to his wife on his cellphone when he was shot dead.

The two gunmen were riding on a black Mio motorcycle and fled the scene in the direction of Sitio Cabading, Barangay Inarawan.

A village chieftain for 20 years, Laciste is not running in Monday’s elections but his wife, Cecilia, is.

George said that prior to the attack, his brother had already informed him and people close to him the identity of the person who wants him dead.

“We know the person whom our brother suspected to be the mastermind behind his death but we will leave it to the police to investigate,” Kagawad Laciste said.

He said his brother was instrumental in the surrender of some 200 residents hooked on drugs in their barangay.

He added that Cecilia is even more determined now to win Monday’s elections in their village, which has a voting population of about 3,000. (With a report from Madelynne Dominguez)