BY TARA YAP
ILOILO CITY – A barangay captain from a mountain barangay of Tapaz town, Capiz province, was shot dead Sunday morning by a lone gunman in Calinog town, Iloilo province.
Authorities identified the victim as Julie Catamin, 49, the village chief of Barangay Roosevelt in Tapaz town, who previously received death threats.
The incident occurred in Malitbog village, Calinog town around 8:45 a.m.
Catamin was driving a motorcycle when shot by a person riding another motorcycle.
Police Captain Genesis Roque, Calinog police chief, said the barangay captain was going back to Tapaz town after visiting a relative.
Based on initial findings, Catamin suffered fatal gunshot wounds in the back.
Roque said that Catamin previously received death threats and reported it to the police in Tapaz town.
But Roque declined to comment if the killing of Catamin is related to the deadly police raid in both Tapaz and Calinog towns in December 2020.
To recall, nine members of indigenous peoples (IPs) Panay Bukidnon were killed and 16 others were arrested when cops simultaneously served warrants of arrest for illegal firearms.
Catamin denounced the planting of evidence of firearms by police operatives. (Tara Yap)
