Comelec officer shot dead in Northern Samar town

An acting Commission on Elections (Comelec) officer from Lope de Vega town, Northern Samar, was shot dead in the town of Catarman on Thursday, November 18.

Based on the initial investigation of Philippine National Police (PNP) Eastern Visayas, 42-year-old James Diaz Maghanoy, 42, was on his way home from the Commission on Elections (Comelec) office in Lope de Vega town when an unidentified assailant shot him.

Maghanoy was rushed to the Northern Samar Provincial Hospital, but died while being treated for his wounds.

“Comelec calls on the authorities to hasten the probe of the killing of the late James Maghanoy and bring justice to his death,” Comelec’s Eastern Visayas Office said in a statement.

Comelec Spokesperson James Jimenez called on authorities to “leave no stone unturned” in investigating Maghanoy’s killing.

“The entire Commission calls on the authorities to leave no stone unturned in its probe of the murder of Maghanoy, and to ensure that those responsible are brought swiftly to justice,” Jimenez said.

Maghanoy, served as an election assistant in Comelec Lope de Vega for 19 years. He was appointed as acting election officer last April.

According to Comelec Eastern Visayas, he was supposed to undergo a screening process for the election officer II position this month. – Rappler.com

Lance Lim is a Visayas-based journalist and an awardee of the Aries Rufo Journalism Fellowship.