Iloilo cops probe slayings of village chief, husband
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ILOILO CITY — Police in Iloilo are investigating the killing on Thursday of a village chief and her husband in Barangay Tinocuan, Dueñas town, Iloilo.
Brigadier General Jack Wanky, director of the Western Visayas police, said they were gathering information to identify the perpetrators and determine the motive behind the slaying of Michelle Lamela, chairperson of Barangay Santo Niño, Dueñas town, and her husband Rodney Lamela.
One of the motives that the police were considering is revenge after they learned that Rodney was accused of killing Joel Ladublan, brother of a retired police officer, during a conflict on Sept. 1, 2008.
READ: Barangay captain, husband shot dead in Iloilo
Sought for comment, Ladublan’s widow Adela said they had nothing to do with the murder of the Lamela couple.
Article continues after this advertisement“Do they have evidence?” she said in an interview with RMN Iloilo on Dec. 6.
Article continues after this advertisementMario Lacquesta, one of the councilors of Barangay Santo Niño, said their barangay captain had no enemies.
“Our village chief has done excellent work in leading our place and I can attest to this because we work together in the council,” he said.
The killings of the Lamela couple orphaned seven children–four are abroad, while three still live with their parents.
In an interview with “Neneng” one of Rodney’s sisters who chose to remain anonymous, one of the couple’s daughters just recently passed the 2024 Philippine Nursing Licensure Examination.
Police secured footage from a closed-circuit television showing two persons on board a motorcycle.
The gunman was seen wearing a blue helmet with a pink and white color combination, black jacket, shorts, and slippers, while the driver was wearing a black helmet, black jacket with white stripes on the arm sleeve, long sleeves, and white shoes.
