Drug group leader aide shot dead

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines —  An alleged trusted aide of a drug group leader was gunned down Thursday by two motorcycle riding assailants at Barangay 1 Poblacion in Hinigaran town of Negros Occidental.

Police identified the victim as Samson Faniega Jr., 34, who succumbed to three gunshot wounds in the back, and was declared dead on arrival at the Hinigaran Emergency Clinic.

Chief Inspector Jake Barila, Hinigaran Police chief, said that, based on their intelligence reports, Faniega was the trusted man of the leader of the Ramos Drug Group in Hinigaran, and was included in the police drug watchlist.

Barila said that Faniega, prior to his death, told his father that he got death threats, because he was suspected to be responsible for the arrest of some of the drug group members, while he was being spared by the police.

The police recovered three empty shells, three slugs and a live ammunition of .45-caliber pistol from crime scene.

Barila suspected that the killing of Faniega may have been related to drugs. He added that they have already accounted for more than 10 members of the Ramos Drug Group, while others went inactive, and some fled from Hinigaran, because of the police relentless anti-drug campaign.

Faniega was driving a passenger tricycle, when he was shot by the gunman, who and the driver of his motorcycle getaway vehicle, were wearing bonnets to cover their faces.