• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Three members of a family were found dead early morning of May 2, outside their respective homes at Sitio Guinam-an in Barangay Buenavista, Murcia. Negros Occidental.
All of the victims succumbed to multiple gunshot wounds, having been shot on the night of May 1, according to initial investigations of the Murcia Police Station.
The victims were identified as Neldi Celayes, 59, his wife, Josephine, 60, and their son, Jovi, 33, all residents of the place.
Major Sherwin Fernandez, Murcia police chief, raised the possibility that the victims, who were preparing their dinner, may have known the suspects.
Fernandez said they are looking into land conflict as among the possible motives. However, he did not elaborate further, during an interview with the media.
Recovered from the scene of the crime were several slugs and empty shells of a still undetermined caliber of firearms.
The Celayes couple had no companions inside their house when the shooting incident took place. Their son, Jovi, who lived in another house near his parents, was also shot dead by the gunmen when he arrived, Fernandez said.
A witness told the Murcia police that he heard successive shots. However, he did not mind it, thinking that it was firecrackers.
Police investigations further showed that two suspects may have been involved in the commission of the crime.
On the other hand, a 53-year-old farmer died on the spot after he was shot by a 61-year-old suspect on Thursday night at Sitio Bulwang, Brgy. Bi-ao, Binalbagan, Negros Occidental, according to the police.
The suspect was later arrested by Binalbagan policemen, assisted by soldiers of the 62nd Infantry Battalion.
Prior to the incident, the victim and the suspect were on a drinking spree, when heated arguments ensued, leading to the shooting incident, initial investigations of the Binalbagan police showed.
The Binalbagan police recovered a caliber .45 pistol with a magazine containing nine ammunition from the suspect, while two fired cartridges were found at the crime scene.*
