Pasay kagawad slain in barangay hall

MANILA, Philippines — A newly elected barangay councilor in Pasay City was shot dead in the barangay hall on Monday.

Kagawad Marcelina Camacho, who won as councilor of Barangay 37, was shot from behind by a passenger on a motorcycle at around 5:35 p.m., police said.

The bullet ripped through Camacho’s neck and she was declared dead on arrival at a hospital.

Closed-circuit television footage showed two men on a motorcycle stopping in front of the barangay hall. The backrider drew a gun and shot Camacho through the hall’s glass door before returning to his companion and speeding away.

Police arrested the rider, Vladimer Catubay, 27, after the motorcycle accidentally hit a pedestrian, causing them to fall down.

Investigators are looking into the motive for the attack, including the possibility that it could be politically motivated.

Another possible angle investigators are looking into is the victim’s money-lending business.

Camacho’s killing is the latest in a series of attacks on newly elected barangay officials.

On Nov. 1, a barangay councilor in Midsayap town in Cotabato province was shot dead by his cousin near the building where he was supposed to hold office.

On Oct. 31, the Commission on Elections reported that 19 people were killed in incidents related to the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections from Aug. 28 to Oct. 30.