In a tragic incident on the night of February 24, a village chairman, along with one of his councilors and a barangay tanod member, lost their lives in a gun attack in Barangay Daja Diot, San Isidro, Leyte.
The casualties, identified by Town Police Chief Major Reymund Quinagutan, are Elizalde Tabon, 55, the barangay chairman; Paul Al Mandero, 52, a village councilor; and Rusty Salazar, a barangay tanod member. The three victims were inside their barangay hall when armed assailants entered and carried out a fatal shooting, targeting them repeatedly.
During the incident, another village watchman named Alex Bacor, stationed at the barangay hall’s gate, was also injured but managed to survive.
Major Quinagutan revealed in a telephone interview that the attack occurred around 9:30 pm while the victims were attending a meeting inside the barangay hall. Tabon and Mandero sustained head injuries, while Bacor suffered a bullet wound on his right shoulder. Currently, Bacor is recovering in a hospital in the nearby town of Calubian.
The four armed suspects, each on a motorcycle, promptly fled the scene following the shooting. Quinagutan mentioned that the authorities are yet to ascertain the identities of the suspects and determine the motive behind this tragic incident.
