By CYRUS M. GARDE
BACOLOD City — Why was a former village chief of Barangay Dian-ay, Escalante City killed? Was his death related to his work on land reform?
Police were still trying to determine the motive behind the death of 53-year-old Romy Gale Romo.
Four people barged into Romo’s house when he was having supper with his wife and daughter at about 7 p.m. on Saturday. One of the four shot him point-blank.
Romo succumbed to gunshot wounds in the head and chest.
The suspects left the victim’s wife and daughter unhurt. They casually left the house.
Escalante police did not identify the suspects.
Recovered from Romo’s body was a slug of a .38-caliber pistol and from the crime scene, two more slugs of the same caliber, said Supt. Leo Batiles, chief of Escalante police.
Romo has served as Dian-ay village chief from 2010 to 2013.
A leader of a farmers’ group in the barangay, he was working with the local Department of Agrarian Reform.
Police believe the suspect’s death could be work-related.
Romo was facilitating the registration of foreclosed properties under his or some sugar planters’ names, sources disclosed./PN
