Malabon barangay exec hurt in slay try

MANILA, Philippines — A Malabon barangay official was wounded and his driver died when they were ambushed in Manila yesterday morning. 

Harold “Chime” Padilla, executive officer of Barangay San Agustin; his wife Irene and driver Christopher Reloque were in a brown Toyota Innova (WIS-371) and cruising along New Antipolo street when four men on two motorcycles shot at them just before 10 a.m.

Padilla, nephew of Southeast Asian shooting champ and Barangay San Agustin chairman Nathaniel “Tac” Padilla, was hit in the initial volley.

Irene was unscathed but Reloque died on the way to a hospital.

A tricycle driver, meanwhile, was hit by a stray bullet and was taken to an undisclosed hospital.

A witness said two of the gunmen were seen at a nearby eatery before the attack.

A source told The STAR that Irene was ill and regularly goes to a hospital with her husband for checkup. 

He said probers should not discount the possibility that the shooting was drug-related “because the Padillas are known as anti-illegal drug advocates.”

However, Padilla and Arnel Ignacio were arrested in a drug bust in Quezon City on Oct. 30, 2013 after they sold a kilo of shabu, with a black Nissan Terrano thrown in to sweeten the deal, to an undercover police officer.

Padilla was released but Ignacio was charged and detained.

In August 2016, Padilla submitted himself to then Northern Police District director Senior Superintendent Roberto Fajardo to deny reports linking him to illegal drugs after his name was allegedly included in the hit list of leftist group Partisano.

Padilla admitted to Fajardo that he once used illegal drugs but has reformed after his 2013 arrest.