OFFICIAL SLAIN

A village official was killed by unidentified gunmen Tuesday afternoon in Siocon, Zamboanga del Norte, while he was painting his motorboat. Chief Inspector Helen Galvez, Police Regional Office-Zamboanga Peninsula information officer, identified the victim as Hamza Diaz, 65, a councilor in the village of Balagunan. Galvez said the victim sustained five gunshot wounds. Police recovered three empty shells of caliber .45 pistol and one empty shell of caliber .9mm pistol from the crime scene. Galvez said they have launched an investigation into the killing. /