A Malabon City barangay chairman was shot dead in his own backyard Monday, an incident condemned by the city government.
Police identified the slain local official as Barangay Hulong Duhat chairman Anthony Velasquez, 41.
According to the local government, the incident “not only [struck] fear and anxiety to all Malabonians, but also put Malabon City in a bad light.”
“With the recent death of Hulong Duhat Barangay Captain Anthony ‘Tune’ Velasquez, there is no justification for the aggression the victims all faced, or for the damage and pain it caused their families,” it said in a statement.
Investigation conducted by Malabon police disclosed that the incident happened around 3:50 p.m. when Velasquez was busy cleaning his backyard.
Police said two gunmen entered Velasquez gate and fired shots at him as they saw him. The assailants then walked towards their two cohorts on two motorcycles, who were waiting for them, and escaped.
Velasquez was rushed to a hospital in Caloocan City but was declared dead on arrival.
Eleven fired cartridge cases were recovered from the crime scene.
A statement released by city public information office head Bong Padua bared that Velasquez used to receive “death threats due to anti-drug campaign he enforced, significantly minimizing illegal drugs-use in Barangay Hulong Duhat.”
The statement added that the chairman was “shrouded with controversy” after he was included in a “drug watch list” four years ago.” However, he and his family belied the allegation, saying it was “maliciously motivated by rivals in politics.”
“Notwithstanding, he fully cooperated with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency as Velasquez took active part in buy-bust operations,” the statement read, adding that his cooperation led him to “unfortunately ‘stepped-over’ the Zapanta Group, an alleged drug ring headed by a former policeman dismissed for involvement in drug trafficking.”
As the local government “urged and demanded the Philippine National Police to implement the full force of the law to capture the perpetrators behind this utterly unacceptable act,” City Police chief Col. Angela Rejano on Tuesday said the Northern Police District has already formed a task group to investigate the killing of Velasquez.
