Zamboanga del Sur municipal environment officer shot dead

The municipal environment and natural resources officer of Dumingag, Zamboanga del Sur, was killed by three unidentified assailants on Thursday.
 
A report from Police Regional Office 9's public information unit said that Richard Butch Cabilan, 39, was shot dead at the Dumingag Organic Agriculture Office in Barangay Lower Landing at around 2:40 p.m. on November 3.
 
According to the authorities, Cabilan was at a meeting when he went to the back portion of the building to receive an incoming call.
 
Three unidentified suspects then arrived at the area and shot him using a short firearm, hitting his head, which resulted in his instantaneous death, the police said.
 
Cabilan sustained two gunshot wounds on his head and one gunshot wound on the back portion of his body.
 
The report said the suspects ran and jumped over the fence of the government facility and immediately boarded one Bajaj RE (bao-bao) and one Skygo motorcycle.
 
The alleged gunmen traversed the Dumingag-Midsalip road.
 
Two pieces of a fired cartridge case of caliber.45 were recovered at the crime scene.
 
In a statement, Senator Risa Hontiveros condemned the killing of Cabilan, a member and former division secretary general of Akbayan Zamboanga del Sur.
 
"As a civil servant, it is very alarming that this gruesome attack happened inside the compound of a government-owned facility," Hontiveros said.
 
The senator then urged Philippine National Police chief Rodolfo Azurin Jr. to immediately investigate what she called a "political killing" and appealed for greater efforts from the government to protect civil servants and all citizens.
 
"We must prevail against these evil acts that endanger our safety and our democracy," she said. "Give justice to the Cabilan family! Stop political violence in Zamboanga del Sur!"
 
Hontiveros said Cabilan's death was a "huge loss" as the latter upheld and embodied the best of public service.
 
She added that Cabilan had a "profound impact" on his community and was widely recognized in Zamboanga del Sur for his fight against poverty, inequality, and injustice.

Cabilan’s was the second shooting incident in the province. The first incident happened on October 18 at the provincial government complex in Barangay Dao, Pagadian City involving a 25-year-old man from Barangay Betinan, San Miguel in Zamboanga del Sur.

Victim Ronie Agan Naong was found lifeless at Farmer's Haven inside the government compound after two male suspects shot him in different parts of the body,

According to the authorities, Naong was "surreptitiously tailed" by unidentified men while inside the provincial government complex.

When the victim noticed that he was being followed, he immediately ran off but the suspects shot him several times.

The police said the alleged gunmen immediately fled to IBT Terminal in Barangay Bulatok, Pagadian City after the incident. — VBL, GMA Integrated News