World | Philippines
Congressional staff member killed
The chief-of-staff of a Congressman, who is allied with President Gloria Arroyo, died an hour after he was ambushed by unidentified gunmen near his home in suburban Quezon City.
- By Barbara Mae Dacanay, Bureau Chief
- Published: 00:33 October 9, 2008
Manila: The chief-of-staff of a Congressman, who is allied with President Gloria Arroyo, died an hour after he was ambushed by unidentified gunmen near his home in suburban Quezon City.
Robert Delano, chief-of-staff of Congressman Manuel "Way Kurat" Zamora, died at 9.45am (local time) after doctors failed to extract a bullet from his chin, said Dr Bonnie Chua of Delgado Clinic on Kamuning Road.
Doctors had revived him for 45 minutes before he was declared dead, said Dr Chua, adding that Delano had a zero pulse rate and dilated pupils when bystanders brought him to the emergency section of the hospital in the morning.
Armed men shot at Delano as soon as he entered a blue sports utility vehicle (SUV), bearing a Congressional registration number. The vehicle was parked in the garage inside Delano's residence on Kamuning road, eyewitnesses said.
The armed men pumped bullets into the front side of the driver's seat. One bullet hit Delano on the chin, investigators said. Delano's daily routine was to pick up Congressman Zamora from the latter's home, before proceeding to the House of Representatives together.
"He had no known enemies and rivals," said Zamora, adding : "I don't think I was the target. Had that been the case, why did they [the gunmen] not allow him to meet me?
The authorities have launched a manhunt for the killers. Rivalry among politicians is a known cause of political killings in the country.
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