A barangay councilor was shot dead in Barangay Panghulo, Malabon City yesterday morning.
Police Col. Jessie Tamayao, Malabon police chief, identified the victim as Dante Sih, 53, of Barangay Panghulo.
Sih was on his first term as barangay councilor and had occupied the same position for three terms before.
Tamayao said Sih had just bought food in a market on E. Rodriguez St. corner Mulawin St. at about 8:45 a.m. and boarded his motorcycle when a man wearing sunglasses, a T-shirt, and shorts walked up to the victim and shot him on the nape once, killing him instantly.
Witnesses described the gunman as someone dark-skinned and of medium height and built.
As the gunman walked away, he left a letter saying that the Armadong Rebolusyonaryong Manggagawa is behind the killing, one of the victim’s relatives said.
In the letter, the group claimed that the barangay councilor extorted money from poor vendors and was behind some of the killings and disappearances in Malabon.
“Hindi mag-aatubili ang Armadong Rebolusyonaryong Manggagawa na magsagawa ng mga asasinasyon sa sino mang yuyurak sa dangal ng mga mahihirap,” the letter read.
Sih’s relative, who requested anonymity, denied the group’s claims on Facebook.
“Kilalang-kilala tito ko bilang mabuting tao sa lugar namin. Ni wala ‘yang inagrabyado. Napaka-sinungaling niyo! ” she said in a Facebook post. “Mabait na tao po tito ko. Tumakbo po ‘yang kagawad dito na walang pera. Ni walang pampagawa ng tarpaulin at padamit nung kampanya. Three consecutive terms po. Nanalo ‘yan, independent,” she said.
Police Major Ronald Carlos, Malabon police Station Investigation and Detection Management Branch chief, said they are still verifying the existence of the armed group.
Carlos also bared that Sih had received death threats three weeks before his death. “May banta lang daw, pero hindi naman daw siya natakot, di naman siya naniwala kasi hindi naman daw siya abusado,” he said
Malabon Mayor Antolin “Lenlen” Oreta III condemned the killing and called for immediate action from the police to solve the case. (Minka Tiangco)
