Two gunmen barged into a central Philippine town hall and killed the vice mayor, a human rights advocate who had condemned a series of killings of left-wing activists, officials said Saturday, according to AP. Vice Mayor Regolo Moran, already wounded in the close-range shooting Friday, wrestled with one of the attackers but was shot again by the other and died in a car during the two-hour trip to a hospital, said left-wing lawmaker Rep. Crispin Beltran, a friend of Moran. Two of Moran's employees were wounded in the assault in Masbate province's Dimasalang town, about 350 kilometers (218 miles) southeast of Manila. The gunmen fled and were being hunted, said regional police commander Senior Superintendent Balligi Tira. Beltran said he was puzzled how two gunmen could enter the town hall, which contains a police post. He said he was seeking an investigation of policemen near the scene. The U.S. Senate recently urged the Philippines to prosecute human rights violators _ even if they are soldiers _ or risk losing military aid. The Philippine military and police force have denied involvement in the killings and disappearances, saying Karapatan exaggerates the number of deaths and arguing that slayings by communist rebels far outnumber those allegedly committed by government troops.
