ZAMBOANGA DEL NORTE, Philippines – Gunmen shot dead a town councilor in Barangay Macleodes, Polanco town, while he was having dinner with his wife on Tuesday, March 25, police said.
The victim, 52-year-old Leopoldo Atad, was also the barangay chairman of Macleodes. Atad was the president of the town’s Liga ng mga Barangay.
The deadly attack came just a few days ahead of the start of the campaign period for local candidates.
Police said a suspect was arrested in Zamboanga del Sur but have yet to identify him. They also suspected the gun attack had a mastermind.
Police said one of the assailants fired 12 shots from a caliber .45 pistol before fleeing on a motorcycle driven by an accomplice. The two abandoned the motorcycle in neighboring Barangay Desin.
“We are focusing our investigation on the owner of the abandoned motorcycle,” Zamboanga del Norte Provincial Police Director Reinier Diaz told Rappler on Wednesday, March 26.
The victim’s mother, Delia Ballares-Atad, called on authorities to bring the mastermind and the gunmen to justice.
“Unsa may sala akong anak nimo nga imo man gyud siya gipatay?” she said.
(What wrong did my son do that you had to kill him?)
Trying to hold back tears, she recalled: “I was sitting near the victim when a speeding motorcycle arrived. The gunman quickly went towards the front of my son’s store, shot him and escaped.”
She added that friends told her a “Hi-Lux” pickup truck was waiting near Desin Bridge, where the motorcycle was abandoned. Residents said the truck sped off with the suspects.
Zamboanga del Norte Governor Rosalina Jalosjos condemned the killing and urged police to solve the case quickly.
“I stand united with them in demanding justice for the victim and in ensuring that those responsible are held accountable to the fullest extent of the law. Thus, I call on law enforcement agencies to swiftly investigate this incident, protect citizens, officials, and the public, and take all necessary measures to prevent further violence,” she said.
Atad was one of the strongest leaders of the Jalosjos political group in Polanco.
On December 19, 2024, town councilor Glecerio Redillas was shot dead on the porch of his home in neighboring Piñan town.
Redillas was also a staunch Jalosjos supporter. – Rappler.com