A barangay kagawad was shot dead in front of her 11-year-old son in Quiapo, Manila.
According to a 24 Oras report by Mark Salazar on Thursday, police are looking at politics as a motive in the crime.
Victim Stella Sky Lim was walking home with her child when the motorcycle-riding men approached. The one at the back of the motorcycle shot the kagawad.
CCTV footage was able to capture the attack.
the Manila Police District had already arrested a suspect and are looking into politics as a possible motive for the crime.
“Marami rin kaming natutulungan, lalo na po ang asawa ko. Napakabait niyan. Niyayakap niya kahit muslim, kristyano… tutulungan niya. Kaya nga nagtataka kami bakit siya babaralin lang ng ganoon,” said her live-in partner Gilbert dela Cruz.
(We’ve already helped a lot of people, especially my wife. She’s very kind. She hugs you even if you’re a muslim, Christian… She will help you. That is why we’re wondering why she just got shot like that)
“Kapag nakaharap ko yung isang nahuli nila, tatanungin ko kung bakit kailangan barilin niya pa. Pwede naman namin ibigay ang posisyon na gusto niyo… Yung pagiging kagawad po kung gusto nila eh, pwede naman namin bitawan e,” he added.
(When I meet the suspect they arrested, I will ask him why he needed to shoot her. We could have given them the position they wanted… If they wanted the kagawad position, we could have let it go)
The victim’s family expressed their worry over the trauma that the victim’s son may face after witnessing the crime.
“Tinatanong ko siya kung ano ba, meron ka bang nararamdaman? Sabihin mo sakin para malaman natin [at] makalapit tayo sa iba [kung] paano gagawin po,” said dela Cruz.
(I am asking him, is he feeling anything different? Tell me so I can know [and] we can try to consult others [on] what to do)
Meanwhile, the captain of Barangay 383 said that she also could not see any possible motive that could lead to the crime.
“Yung imbestigador, nung tanungin ang asawa niya ano ba ang motibo, ang sabi nya may nakaaway may umiipit daw sa kanila, sa utang nila. Yun lang yun alam nilang away. May nakaalitan [din] sila sa parking,” Barangay 383 chairman Zobaida Sharief shared.
(The investigator, when they asked her husband what could have been the motive, he said that they got into an argument with someone harassing them about their loans. That’s the only argument they knew of. They [also] got into an argument about parking)
“Isa sa masipag ko yang kagawad. Actually, nung unang tumakbo ang asawa ko, majority sila. Bali, ilang term na siya [at] pagraduate na siya ngayon. Hindi pala-away yan,” she added.
(She’s one of my hardworking kagawads. Actually, when my husband first ran, they were the majority. She’s been through many terms [and] was about to graduate now. She’s not the type to cause fights)
She also shared that politics were very hostile in their area, and that her husband had already been a previous victim of said violence.
“Kahit anong ingat mo… Kapag pinagplanuhan ka, wala na,” Sharief said.(No matter how careful you are… Once they plan about you, it’s over.) —Jiselle Anne C. Casucian/NB, GMA Integrated News
