CARMEN, North Cotabato — A manhunt has been launched against gunmen who ambushed and killed a village chairperson and his aide here Friday night in what police believed was motivated by robbery and personal grudge.
Carmen town police chief, Chief Insp. Julius Malcontento, identified the slain village official as Renato Ortiz, chairperson of Barangay Gen. Luna here, and his aide and farm caretaker, Rey Nobleza.
Malcontento said the victims were on board a motorbike headed for home at about 5:45 p.m. when they were ambushed in Sitio Tabulon, Barangay Gen. Luna.
“He (Ortiz) had in his sling bag some PHP100,000 cash and the family said it was missing and believed taken by the suspects,” he said.
Responding policemen found the two victims lying in a pool of blood near a roadside rice field with fatal gunshot wounds.
Ortiz sustained eight gunshot wounds while Nobleza had nine bullet injuries, Malcontento said, adding that Ortiz’s family considered robbery as one of the motives behind the killing as the cash was stolen. The family also believed it could be work-related. (Edwin Fernandez/PNA)
