January 4, 2011
MANILA (AFP) - A murdered Philippine politician caught his killer on camera just moments before he was shot dead, with the photograph leading to the arrest of the gunman, police said Tuesday.
The photograph, taken by district councillor Reynaldo Dagsa and reprinted on the front page of a major newspaper, shows his family posing for the photo while the gunman is in the background aiming a pistol at his victim.
"While he was taking the picture of his family on New Year's Day, the killer appeared and he inadvertently took the picture of the killer with the gun aimed at him," said local police chief Jude Santos.
Dagsa, a councillor in a Manila suburb, was shot moments after the picture was taken and died on the way to the hospital, according to Santos, who is investigating the case.
The family gave the photograph to the police, leading to the arrest on Monday of the gunman as well as a suspected accomplice who was also seen lurking in the background of the picture, Santos told AFP.
The suspects may have had a grudge against the councillor, who was active in law-enforcement activities in his district, said the police chief.
Rampant gun violence has long plagued the impoverished Philippines, with a vast array of cheap firearms easily available on the legal and black markets.
