Ecija barangay chairman murdered by riding-in-tandem gunmen

CABANATUAN CITY, Nueva Ecija–An incumbent barangay chairman and nephew of Board Member Pol Interior was gunned down by two motorcycle-riding gunmen in San Leonardo, Nueva Ecija Thursday afternoon, police said.

          Senior Superintendent Crizaldo Nieves, provincial police director, identified the slain barangay official as Rodante Interior-Garcia, barangay chairman of San Bartolome.

Garcia died on-the-spot from three gunshot wounds of a caliber 40 revolver.

Chief Inspector Alexander Aurelio, San Leonardo police chief, said the attack was staged at around 5:30 pm Thursday in the same barangay.

Aurelio said Garcia was walking along the provincial road in the same barangay when the gunmen aboard a red unlicensed Honda motorcycle appeared from behind and shot him point-blank, hitting him in the neck.

As he was sprawled on the pavement, the gunmen fire two more shots then fled in the direction of nearby Peñaranda town.

One of the bullets hit a bystander Rowena Nogue, 49. She was rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment.

PO2 Giovani Penamante, case investigator, said they have several witnesses who already executed affidavits. “The problem is they have not known the suspects personally,” he said.

He ruled out politics as the motive behind the attack, saying they are looking at possible business rivalry. (Manny Galvez)