Local admin party leader shot dead in Surigao Norte

SURIGAO CITY - A political leader of a local party supporting the administration Lakas-KAMPI-CMD party was shot dead on Monday morning at Sitio Binggale, Barangay (village) Bamban, Tagana-an, Surigao del Norte, a local official said. Tagana-an Mayor Cesar Diaz identified the victim as ex-Army Sgt. Oscar Cayumo Animo, 55, married, and a leader of Padajon-Surigao party. According to the report of the Tagana-an Municipal Police Office, Animo was driving his motorcycle toward Tagana-an town proper when gunmen shot him dead. The victim was a small-scale miner, and according to the report, authorities have discounted politics as the motive for the killing, but investigators were pursuing all angles in their probe. Tagana-an Police Chief Police Senior Inspector Ruben Connor Daraman’s initial report to Caraga Police Regional Director Chief Supt Lino De Guzman Calingasan said that the motive behind killing of Animo was due to personal grudge. But the widow of the victim, Lolita Animo, 52, claimed otherwise, insisting that her husband worked as a political coordinator and barangay leader of administration presidential bet Gilberto “Gibo" Teodoro and the local party Padajon-Surigao. Mayor Diaz confirmed to GMANews.TV in a phone interview Tuesday morning that Animo worked as volunteer coordinator of his party Padajon-Surigao, which is supporting Teodoro’s presidential bid. Lakas-KAMPI national vice president for Mindanao, Surigao del Norte Rep. Francisco Matugas, also confirmed to GMANews.TV in an earlier phone interview that Animo was a certified Lakas-KAMPI coordinator. Also, Caraga Police Regional Chief for Operations Senior Supt. Nestor Monton Fajura told GMANews.TV in a text message that the regional police mobile group was ordered to augment the Tagana-an police force to thwart possible violent incidents. Last December, Nacionalista Party vice mayoralty bet Wilbert Suanco Origenes was also shot dead inside his home in Tagana-an by two motorcycle-riding gunmen. In September, the vice mayor of San Francisco, Surigao del Norte, after announcing his intention to run for mayor in San Francisco town, was shot dead in front of his house in Barangay Kaskag in Surigao City . Both Tagana-an and San Francisco towns in the province of Surigao del Norte have been declared election hot spot areas. - Ben Serrano/LBG/RSJ, GMANews.TV