A village chief was killed in an ambush perpetrated by an undetermined number of gunmen in Lipa City, Batangas Saturday night, police said.
Senior Supt. Edwin Quilates, director of the Batangas Provincial Police Office, identified the victim as Napoleon Sambayan, legal age, barangay captain and resident of Barangay Anilao Proper, Lipa.
Initial investigation disclosed that Sambayan was traversing Barangay Antipolo del Norte on board a Mitsubishi Mirage Sedan with license plates number AWA-9910 around 7:20 p.m. when the incident happened.
Upon reaching P. Torres St., the gunmen who were apparently tailing him on board another sedan
car suddenly opened fire at Sambayan’s vehicle and hit him multiple times in the head and body, Quilates said.
Sambayan’s car eventually hit a wall after he lost control of the steering wheel while the gunmen sped off toward Padre Garcia, Batangas, he added.
Meanwhile, concerned citizens and responding police rescuers rushed Sambayan to the NL Villa Medical Center in Lipa where he died while undergoing operation.
According to police, close friends of Sambayan claimed that he was about to fetch his wife from work when he was ambushed.
Police have yet to determine the motive since Sambayan’s family told investigators they couldn’t think of anyone who would do such thing to the victim.
Sambayan’s car was taken to the Lipa City police for forensic examination while Quilates said he has already ordered the review of closed-circuit television cameras in the area which could have caught the incident.
A followup investigation was also initiated to hunt down the perpetrators of Sambayan’s killing, Quilates noted. (Martin A. Sadongdong)
