Authorities Intensify Manhunt for Gunmen Who Killed Former Purok Leader in Cotabato City
COTABATO CITY, BARMM, Philippines — The Cotabato City Police Office (CCPO) has intensified its manhunt operation against gunmen who shot dead a former purok (sub-village) leader of Barangay Rosary Heights 8 or Notre Dame on Monday morning.
Police Lieutenant Jonathan Marciano, the station commander for Police Station 2 of CCPO, identified the victim as Maria Alona Villar, 50, a resident of Barangay Notre Dame. Villar, the wife of Colonel Henry Villar, former police director of Cotabato province, was standing in front of a water refilling station along Moonlight Street at around 9 a.m. when she was shot in the head by one of the suspects who quickly fled.
She was rushed to a hospital but was declared dead on arrival. Scene-of-the-Crime operatives found one empty shell for a caliber .45 pistol at the crime scene.
The motive of the crime is yet to be determined by police investigators. A membership form of the United Bangsamoro Justice Party (UBJP) — the political party of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) set to join parliamentary elections in 2025 — was recovered from Villar’s hands.
The UBJP has condemned the murder of their party volunteer, describing Villar as a dedicated advocate for the party’s principles and policies.
