Mangaldan Village Councilman Assassinated, Suspect Arrested Following Hot Pursuit

MANGALDAN: A tragic incident unfolded in Mangaldan, where a village councilman was fatally shot, leading to the swift arrest of the suspect. The arrest was made in a neighboring town following a tense pursuit on Tuesday night.

According to Philippines News Agency, the victim, 44-year-old Romeo Abrazaldo Del Campo of Barangay Salay, was in a car with his partner and their six-year-old daughter. The assailant, identified as 30-year-old Deo Gapulao Quilan of Cabuñag Poblacion, Candelaria, Quezon province, executed the attack while riding a motorcycle. Percival de Guzman, who was driving the victim’s car, retaliated by ramming into Quilan’s motorcycle, causing him to drop his .45-caliber gun. However, Quilan managed to flee the scene.

The immediate response from the patrolling officers of the Pangasinan Police Provincial Office was crucial. Capt. Renante Dela Cruz, the public information officer, detailed the confrontation with Quilan. During the hot pursuit, the suspect opened fire on the officers, who returned fire, eventually resulting in Quilan’s capture in Barangay Tempra-Guilig, San Fabian town. He was apprehended after being wounded in the thigh.

Dela Cruz mentioned that the suspect’s secondary weapon was not recovered, leading to speculation that it might have been discarded during the chase. The motive behind the attack on Del Campo remains under investigation.

This incident marks the second attack on elected village officials in the town, with motives in both cases yet to be established. The first incident involved Barangay Poblacion chief Melinda Morillo, who was shot dead last December 8 by motorcycle-riding gunmen.

The Special Investigation Task Group Morillo is set to convene this week for updates. In a related development, Interior and Local Government Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. has announced a PHP500,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the suspects in Morillo’s murder.