Bayan Muna member shot dead in Tuburan

For the second time in two months, another member of a progressive group was shot dead in Tuburan town last Wednesday evening.

Bayan Muna Tuburan chapter member Allan Villacencio was shot dead by two motorcycle-riding men while he was sitting on a bench outside his house in barangay Caridad.

His wife, Myrna, said that while she and her husband were outside their home, one of the two suspects, who she said was wearing a hat, approached her and asked where they could buy gasoline.

Villacencio who was sitting on a bamboo bench outside his house stood up and pointed at the direction where the suspects would be able to buy gasoline, when suddenly one of the suspects shot Villacencio thrice hitting him in the different parts of his body that caused his instantaneous death.

The suspects fled after the incident onboard their motorcycle heading towards the national highway about a kilometer from the house of the victim.

Recovered from the crime scene were two slugs of cal. 45 and an empty shell. A relative had already moved the body of the victim into his house before the responding policemen had arrived.

The body of the victim was then taken to the Municipal Health Center for autopsy.

Desk officer PO3 Hannibal Lareda told The FREEMAN that investigation is still being conducted led by their chief of police, S/Insp. Crisanto Duque to determine the motive behind the killing and the possible arrest of the suspects.

A woman-member of the human rights group Karapatan was shot in Tuburan last November 23, allegedly perpetrated by members of the 78th Infantry Battalion.

Emmylou Cruz, 25, was with her husband in sitio Punta, barangay 8, poblacion Tuburan when three people, believed to be military men, shot them at past 4 pm while they were on their way to the town proper from a "pulong-pulong" with the fisherfolks in the area.

Bayan Muna Media Liaison officer Glemar Bacusmo said that said incidents are alarming already, as political killings have increased in the country this year compared to last year.

Bacusmo revealed that from January to November there are already over 150 political killings that were recorded in the country, as compared to the 63 political killings that were recorded last year.

Bacusmo said that the local government should act on the incident, as this is already the second case that happened in Tuburan.

"There is a need to dip their fingers on the matter because this is very alarming already. This is the second incident that happened in that place. It was like a vigilante-type of killing," he said.

He added that their group will send out teams to the place today to do an investigation on the matter and will look into the nature of circumstance or the events that happened before Villacencio was killed.

"We will talk with the family of the victim and we will do our separate investigation on the matter so that we may know the motive of the killing. Hopefully our next action is to file a legal case against the perpetrators if they will be identified," he said. - Norvie S. Misa and Jasmin R. Uy