By ERMA EDERA
A BARANGAY secretary was shot dead by a motorcycle-riding gunman in front of Antonio Regidor Elementary School near a barangay hall in Sta. Cruz, Manila, Wednesday afternoon.
Police said the victim identified as Julio Turla, 54, secretary of Barangay 314 in Sta. Cruz, succumbed to multiple gunshot wounds in the head and body.
A former three-termer barangay kagawad, Turla also served as a personal driver to incumbent Barangay Captain Aileen Guidotong, case investigator SPO3 Jonathan Bautista of the Manila Police District (MPD) homicide section said.
Bautista said Guidotong was included President Duterte’s “narco” list.
A closed-circuit television camera footage showed Turla was sitting in front of the school at the corner of Teodora Alonzo and Lope De Vega Streets, where children were seen playing around, when a lone gunman pulled over and shot him at close range around 2:41 p.m.
The police said the suspect, who was onboard a motorcycle without a plate number, sped off towards Recto Avenue.
MPD homicide section chief Senior Inspector Rommel Anicete said Turla’s family and relatives told him that the victim had no known enemy.
Meanwhile, Hilda Turla, victim’s younger sister and kagawad in the same barangay, said that she warned his brother not to associate himself with the chairwoman because of her alleged involvement in illegal drugs.
However, the victim insisted that his conscience was clean.
Anicete added that they are looking into drugs and politics as possible motives behind the killing.
Recovered from the crime scene were two fired catridges and one deformed slug from a .45-caliber gun.
One Agapita Mendez, 42, a vendor in the area, was wounded after being hit by a stray bullet in the left leg.
Police are still investigating the incident.
