The relatives and neighbors of the victims — Faustino Pesadas Sr., 63, his wife Lustiva, 65, and their son Ramil, 24 — have raised this suspicion as the three men, who reportedly belong to the Red Scorpion gang, remain unidentified.
The Pesadases were all gunned down inside their home in Purok 1, Caramcam district here on the night of Feb. 22. A grandson of the Pesadas couple, Archie, 16, survived the massacre with gunshot wounds in the back.
The three other suspects, identified as Eddie Aladad, Pipoy Aladad and Elmer Soberano, now face charges in the city prosecutor’s office.
The victims’ neighbors said some members of the Pesadas clan have gone into hiding, fearing that those behind the massacre might also go after them.
Police are probing if the long-standing dispute between the Pesadas and Aladad clans over a piece of land in Tagbina, Surigao del Sur could have triggered the killing.
Chief Superintendent Geary Lingan Barias, Caraga police director, has ordered the Bislig City police to look into the possible involvement of a gun-for-hire gang in the massacre.