• RICHARD T. CABALLERO JR.
A 27-year-old laborer was gunned down by unidentified suspects in the mountainous area of Sitio Sinuwayan, Barangay Camalandaan, in the town of Cauayan, Negros Occidental, on Monday at around 11:30 p.m.
The initial investigation of the Cauayan Municipal Police Station stated that before the incident, the victim went to the residence of his companion to attend a birthday celebration. Police said that the victim was drinking alcoholic beverages together with the family of the celebrant.
Due to being in a state of drunkenness, the victim decided to sleep at the house. Then two unidentified male suspects arrived and ordered the victim to go outside from the house.
Upon reaching the door, the suspects, armed with long firearms, suddenly shot the victim multiple times, hitting him on the different parts of his body, which resulted in his death.
Meanwhile, during the crime, one of the celebrant’s family members, a 19-year-old female who was standing at the doorway, was hit by a stray bullet hit on her left arm.
Police said that after the incident, suspects fled in an unknown direction, citing that an investigation for the possible identification and apprehension of the suspects is underway.
Cauayan MPS said that the victim had a standing case of carnapping involving a motorcycle.
Police recovered from the crime scene five fired 5.56mm cartridge cases and one fired 7.62 mm cartridge case.
The body of the killed victim will undergo postmortem examination, while the injured was immediately rushed to Merciditas Montilla Memorial Hospital at Sipalay City for medical treatment.
The Cauayan MPS has coordinated with the barangay officials and the 15th Infantry Battalion of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) for the possible identification of the suspects.*
