UN employee shot dead in Philippines

Manila: A Filipino employee of UNICEF was shot dead in southern Philippines, authorities said on Friday.
The employee based in the southern city of Cotabato died on Thursday with a gunshot wound on the abdomen, Xinhua news agency quoted a report from the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao police as saying.

The slain official has been identified as Nestor Bulahan.

Police said Bulahan was on the way to meet a friend in Maguindanao province but was intercepted by his murderer and shot at from a close range, the local on-line news network inquirer.net reported.

The murder occurred four days after at least 57 people were shot dead in Maguindanao, in what the worst election-related violence in the country so far.

IANS