• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Three more suspects, allegedly involved on the May 12 election day shooting incident in Silay City, Negros Occidental, have been identified, provincial police director P/Col. Rainerio de Chavez disclosed on Tuesday.
De Chavez, head of the Special Investigation Task Group probing the election day shooting incident, however, withheld their identities, pending follow up operations.
The shooting incident on May 12 at Purok Ipil-Ipil, Barangay Mambulac, Silay City, claimed the lives of two persons, and caused injuries to seven.
De Chavez said the three suspects were initially listed as John Does during the filing of murder and frustrated murder charges against Arnie Benedicto, barangay captain of Lantad in Silay City.
Benedicto, who surrendered to the authorities several hours after the incident, remains in the custody of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group.
De Chavez said the Prosecutor’s Office has already completed the preliminary investigation, and with the resolution of the case, was already forwarded to the court.
The judge who will be selected to hear the case, through a raffle, will probably issue a commitment order for the transfer of Benedicto, he added.
Since the case already was filed against the suspects, de Chavez said they will serve the arrest warrant, or conduct search warrant operations, where they are located.
He considers the Silay City election day shooting as an “election violence incident.”*
