2 nabbed for Cagayan village chief’s slay

TUGUEGARAO CITY, Cagayan, Philippines — Two municipal government employees in Calamaniugan town were arrested yesterday in connection with the killing of a barangay captain on Tuesday.

Police identified the suspects as Geronimo Joaquin, 39, and Carlo Aggabao, 27.

Eranio Caleda, chairman of Barangay Julian Olivas, was manning a quarantine checkpoint when he was shot. He reportedly identified Joaquin as his assailant before he died.

Police records show Joaquin was also tagged in the killing of two other people last year and has a pending warrant of arrest for murder in Nueva Ecija.

Besides politics, probers are eyeing a row in the distribution of cash assistance under the social amelioration program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development as the motive for the killing.