ANAKPAWIS LEADER, GUN- FOR- HIRE MEMBER KILLED IN PANGASINAN

BAYAMBANG, Pangasinan: Police are looking into all possible angles in the gun slaying of an officer of the Anakpawis group in this town, as well as the killing of a suspected gun-for-hire member in Tayug town on Monday night. Senior Supt. Wilson Joseph Lopez, police provincial director, identified the victims as Robert Mejia, reported leader of Anakpawis and vice president of the Bayambang Farmers Association, and Virgilio Benigno, of Barangay Lawak, Tayug. Lopez said Benigno, a suspected gun-for-hire in eastern part of the province, was shot dead by unidentified gunmen along the village road on February 18. The family of Benigno denied his involvement in gun-for-hire activity, claiming the victim was an ordinary farmer and had no known enemy in their village. Meanwhile, Mejia had been criticizing the alleged inaction of the government to investigate the issue on land dispute in Barangay Buenlag 2nd. He was onboard a motorcycle with his brother, Megulito, at about 11:30 p.m. on February 18 when they were shot several times by unidentified gunmen. Robert died from multiple gunshot wounds at the hospital while Meguelito was unhurt. Mayor Cezar Quiambao appealed to the police to solve the killing of Mejia, saying he was not the enemy of the government and known to him personally as a good person.