Barangay kagawad shot dead in Mountain Province
A barangay kagawad and a staunch anti-crime and corruption advocate was killed by unknown assassins Wednesday evening at Barangay Balintaugan in Bauko, Mountain Province. Bauko police said Balintaugan barangay chair Gregory Garcia called and reported the shooting incident and identified the victim as Salvador Liked, legal age, single, and a councilman of the said barangay.
The councilman was shot by unidentified gunmen in front of his residence that resulted in his instant death. Police report says that at around 8:55 PM, the victim came out from their house to see his house under construction which is about 20 meters away when somebody shot him hitting him in the nape and body.
Witnesses saw two individuals rushing from the scene. Spent bullet shells for caliber .45 pistol were recovered at the scene. The Bauko police has yet to conduct deeper investigation on the possible motive behind the killing of the kagawad.
Liked is the secretary general of the Citizens Crime Watch (CCW) Cordillera. His group was responsible for putting some officials in hot seat for alleged corruptions questionable dealings and expenditures especially involving government projects and contracts in Mountain Province.
The anti-corruption activist ran as a vice-mayor of Bauko but landed third in the race. He continued however with his advocacy while serving as a kagawad of Balintaugan. DILG Complaint Last July 14, Liked lodged before the Department of Interior and Local Government a complaint against the Mountain Province local government unit where he sought “for investigation and special audit on the legality and morality” of the province’s appropriated P35.4 million Bayanihan Grant.
A copy of his complaint, he personally supplied the Amianan Balita Ngayon. The amount was supposed to be used for the province’s coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic response. He said that the Sangguniang Bayan passed Resolution 238 on how the money be spent, particularly P5 million for maintenance of duly established provincial checkpoints, P5 million for drugs and medicine, P8 million for medical supplies and P3 million laboratory supplies.
In his seven-page complaint, Liked said that the province was supposed to purchase a polymerase chain reaction machine in the amount of P2.7 million. However, it was unable to do so, since there was no legitimate supplier and that no one can provide a 40 percent mark up.
He said, that instead of buying a PCR machine, the LGU “purchased medical equipment’s which I hope can be usable in the treatment of patients suspected or infected (with) Covid-19 virus.” Liked also questioned the P2 million repair and maintenance of buildings and hospital facilities calling it as “technical malversation” since there is nothing to repair at the Bontoc General Hospital.
His complaint included documents like a certified true copy of all purchase orders charged against the P35.4 million Bayanihan Grant; expenses incurred for the maintenance of duly established provincial checkpoints which has a budget of P5 million; copies of official receipts for some P3.4 million worth of hospital equipment; the program of work of the P2 million building and hospital facilities maintenance.
Pigeon Lobien/ABN
Abra with 1 remaining Covid patient
September 5, 2020
