Killing of brgy chair, not on drugs, politics—police chief

TAGBILARAN CITY, Philippines  — Some neighbors believe it had something to do with illegal drugs, but Insp. Adriano Bacus, OIC of the City Police and head of the intelligence section, confirmed that the killing of Tiptip Barangay Chairman Marcelo “Amar” Epe was not related to drugs and neither was it about politics.

Bacus said the slain village chief was a drug user in the past but he stopped the vice since last year. He however said that one of the many possible angles that was proximate was on the case of Epe’s estranged wife way back in 2009.

Epe died on the spot Monday afternoon after sustaining six gunshot wounds in the head, chest and shoulder. He was gunned down after the session at around 4:20 p.m. last Monday while he was at a store beside his house across the covered court of the barangay.

The City Police got the report of the incident 10 minutes later, and SPO2 Necito Roluna of the criminal investigation section said they found from the scene six empty shells of a .45 caliber bullet, confirming the six bursts of gunfire heard by residents nearby and the six wounds on the victim’s body found by the medico-legal officer.

Entry wounds were seen on the left shoulder from the back where the first shot hit, then on the left chest. Epe had already fallen on the ground when the gunman finished him with a shot on the left portion of the head below the left ear.

Witnesses said the gunmen were riding a black Honda motorcycle, and both were wearing helmets that covered their identity.

A few minutes before the incident, one of the assailants was seen buying softdrinks at the store where the Epe was gunned down later. He was at the store when the backrider approached and fired at him without saying a word. Shocked by the bursts of gunfire, witnesses failed to take note of the plate number of the motorcycle.

A team from TARSIER 117—the provincial government’s quick response unit—immediately responded, but no longer brought the victim to the hospital because he was already dead on the spot.

According to the witnesses, the gunmen passed by the chapel in the barangay then fled towards Cabawan. Probers are still looking into other angles to establish the motive in the killing of Epe.  (FREEMAN)