Dumanjug brgy chief shot dead

CEBU, Philippines - A barangay captain in Dumanjug was killed after being shot in the head and nape at the town’s public market yesterday morning.

Cipriano Torquedo, 59, died on the spot while another man, Mark Cabasag, 30, was injured in the leg with another bullet.

Investigation revealed that Torquedo went to the market to meet his live-in partner, Victoria Servantes, when he was shot by the gunman.

Servantes would later identify the suspect as Danilo Avila who is wanted for allegedly killing Torquedo’s nephew in 2012. A hot pursuit in underway for his arrest.

Police Officer 1 Silvestre Zulueta said Torquedo was already dead when he and his colleagues arrived at the market following a shooting alarm around 10:30 a.m. yesterday. 

Based on Servantes account, Avila was wearing a jacket, eye glasses, and a ball cap and fled right after shooting Torquedo.

“Nakit-an gyud sa live-in partner nga siya ang nagpusil, primero sa tangkogo, dayon sa ulo gitirahan katulo dapit sa tuo nga ulo, gisiguro nga dili mabuhi,” Zulueta said.

Police recovered four empty shells and three deformed slugs of a caliber .45 pistol from the crime scene.

Servantes told the police that she saw the suspect tailing them from Barangay Tubod-Dugoan to the public market on board a motorcycle but she reportedly just ignored it.

“Nakabantay na sila nga naay nagsunod nga motor naay angkas. Nagduda na siya pero gibaliwala lang niya,” Zulueta said.

The police said there is reason to believe that the suspect might have an axe to grind against the barangay captain based on the text messages Torquedo received allegedly from Avila, which contained death threats.

Zulueta said Avila had allegedly been telling people that he would kill the victim.

“Naay personal grudges. Nadungog nga ilang away-away, personal grudge gyud ang motibo ani,” Zulueta said. — (FREEMAN)