Councilor bet killed in Cotabato City shooting

A candidate for councilor in Cotabato City was killed in a botched kidnapping attempt, police said Monday. Cotabato City police head Senior Superintendent Willie Dangane said independent candidate Joseph Kuan, 39, was plying Manara Street in Rosario Heights when three armed men boarded his Nissan pick-up. Kuan, a businessman, was with his two children, Jay Ann, 14, and Czarie, 6, when the incident happened. “A few minutes later, a [gunshot] was heard. After which, one of the suspects commandeered the vehicle and sped off towards San Pablo village," Dangane said in a test message to reporters. The armed men left after the vehicle bumped a concrete fence. Kuan and his daughters were left wounded. Authorities took them to a local hospital, but Kuan was declared dead on arrival. Recovered from the scene of the incident were a .38-caliber revolver and empty bullet shells. Dangane said the incident could be politically motivated, but added that they are not discounting other angles. “Likewise, deeper investigation is being conducted to determine if the incident has political motive aside from foiled abduction," he said. - Sophia Dedace/KBK, GMANews.TV