MANILA, Philippines - Suspected New People's Army (NPA) members shot dead a mayoralty candidate's chief security in Alaminos town, Laguna province on Friday night.
Superintendent Bobby Bamba, acting director of the Laguna provincial police, identified the victim as Dante Liwag, 61, chief security of Alaminos town mayoralty candidate Lorenzo "Boy" Zuniga.
Investigations showed that Liwag was about to enter an Iglesia Ni Cristo chapel in Barangay San Benito when 3 gunmen fired at him around 8 p.m..
Liwag was declared dead-on-arrival at the San Pablo City Medical Center due to 3 gunshot wounds in his body.
Another Iglesia Ni Cristo member, Luis Gonzalez, was hit by a stray bullet.
Police, meanwhile, were able to arrest one of the shooters identified as Christopher Esabia, who was wounded after a firefight against responding policemen.
Bamba said Esabia, a resident of Barangay Payatas, Quezon City, admitted that he is an NPA member.
Liwag had survived an ambush in San Pablo City last April 19, 2009. He was able to fire back at his shooters and killed one of them.
Zuniga, meanwhile, believe that his chief security's killing was election related.