Ex-con shot dead in Colon

An inmate who reportedly had just been released from the Bagong Buhay Rehabilitation Center was gunned down at close range by two men on a motorcycle while loitering in Colon Street, barangay Kalubihan, the other night.

Homicide investigators identified the victim as Jojo Avis, 30, a resident of barangay Duljo-Fatima.

It was not clear if the assailants wore a bonnet or a crash helmet, commonly worn by suspected vigilantes when carrying out their operations, since investigators said people in the area were not so cooperative.

SPO3 Alex Dacua told The Freeman that while the victim was standing at the side of the road, the motorcycle approached and the passenger disembarked from the vehicle and slowly approached him, then shot him several times in the back with a handgun.

As soon as the victim fell onto the ground, the assailant reportedly fired more shots into to the left side of his forehead and the back of his head to finish him off. The assailant then casually returned to the motorcycle and sped off.

Civilian anti-crime volunteer Rodulfo Guarino handed to the police four empty .45 cal. shells and two slugs that he found at the crime scene.

Two more deformed slugs were found in the area. Police also found a 13-inch knife tucked into the pants of the victim when they conducted a body check.

Dacua said that the victim was just released from BBRC last week after he was incarcerated for concealing a deadly weapon after he was arrested for being suspected in a robbery.

Police could not say yet if the crime was done by so-called vigilantes who have been operating in the city since 2004.

"Sa pagkakaron dili pa gyud ta makaingon nga vigilante to sila kay wala may nakasulti nato kung nag-helmet o nag-bonnet ba to sila pero dako sad ang posibilidad nga bawos to ang nahitabo. Ato paman ning imbestigaron," Dacua said. - Edwin Ian Melecio