UNIDENTIFIED gunmen shot dead the president of the Association of Barangay Captains (ABC) in San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte early yesterday morning before fleeing towards a still unknown direction, police said.

Killed in the 3 a.m. attack was Mark Adrian Barba, the 39-year-old chairman of Bgy. 6, San Juan Bautista in San Nicolas municipality. His two still unidentified companions were also shot repeatedly and were taken to a local hospital.

The shooting incident took place in Bgy. 22 San Guillermo while the victims were in a Toyota Innova with plate no. NDA 8116 on their way home from a nearby cockpit arena.

Witnesses said the assassins shot the victims without any provocation before escaping.

The San Nicolas Municipal Police Station headed by Capt. Randy Damo immediately launched a massive operation to arrest the killers.

Police are interviewing possible witnesses to the crime and reviewing all available CCTV recordings at the area.

First responders recovered at the crime scene dozens of spent cal. 5.56 cartridges from an M-16 automatic rifle used in the attack.

The motive and identities of the killers are still being established as of press time.

AUTHOR PROFILE

Alfred P. Dalizon