Councilor shot dead

BACOLOD CITY: Another barangay

kagawad (village councilor) was shot dead by unidentified suspects on Tuesday.

Senior Insp. Jennick Bermudez, Candoni police chief said, at about 7 p.m., Willie Castor, 58, newly elected village councilor of Barangay Gatuslao, Candoni town, went out of his house to check why their dog was barking non-stop when he was shot three times.

Her sustained wounds in different parts of the body.

Bermudez said witnesses saw two unidentified suspects in front of the official’s house.

He added that Castor was brought to the Candoni Rural Health Unit, then transferred to the Lorenzo Zayco District Hospital in neighboring Kabankalan City where he was declared dead.

Bermudez said investigators are looking into the motive for the shooting of Castro although the family “does not believe that politics is behind the incident.”

Castro is the second village official shot and killed in the last four days in Negros Occidental.

On Saturday morning, village councilor Salvacion Samson, 52, was shot dead in her house in Purok Tamsic, Barangay General Malvar, Pontevedra town, Negros Occidental.

Investigation showed that an unidentified suspect walked to Samson’s house, fired at her and escaped on board a motorcycle.

Samson was brought to the Valladolid District Hospital where she was declared dead.

She ha dsuccumbed to two gunshot wounds in the head.

Pontevedra Police Station personnel are still determining the identity of the suspect and the motive for the killing.

Castro and Samson were supposed to assume office on July 1 as newly- elected village officials.