Harry Amalla, chair of Barangay Jubgan, San Francisco, Surigao del Norte during an interview on Nov. 6, 2021 at his residence. MindaNews photo by ROEL CATOTO
SURIGAO CITY (MindaNews / 19 November) – The gunman who shot dead on Thursday the village chief of Brgy. Jubgan in San Francisco town, Surigao del Norte made sure his target would die.
Police Lt. Anglo Ambid, the chief of police of San Francisco Municipal Police Station who is heading the probe of the killing of barangay chair Harry Amalla, said the gunman fired six shots at the victim.
One bullet proved fatal as it hit the head damaging the brain, Ambid said on the phone Thursday.
Ambid said the gunman and his accomplice tailed the victim while the latter was driving his Toyota Vios from Malimono town, Surigao del Norte on Thursday morning.
He said bullets greeted the victim when he opened the window of his car upon his arrival at his residence.
“He was shot at close range,” Ambid said, adding Amalla opened the door by the passenger seat and tried to run away for cover.
But the gunman followed his target who tried to hide in a canal and continued shooting him pointblank, he said.
The police official said they have not identified any suspects.
Eyewitnesses said the gunman was wearing a cap and a black jacket, but had no facemask or anything to cover his face. His accomplice, however, who drove the getaway motorcycle was wearing a face mask.
After the shooting, the assailants fled towards a neighboring barangay in the same town.
“We cannot discount that possibility that the motive has something to do with the controversial mining operation in his village,” Ambid said.
He said some people got mad at Amalla either because the mining operations had stopped or because they were not compensated for damages caused by it.
He added they are also investigating the angle that the motive of the killing could be a personal grudge.
It was learned that the victim brokered deals between the company, GoSun Siargao Waves Corp., and owners of lands that were affected by its operations. (Roel N. Catoto/MindaNews)
