BACOLOD City – The Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) said over the weekend that there are no vigilante groups operating in the city.
The statement came following a shooting incident on Araneta Street on Friday, Nov. 10, which claimed the lives of two individuals who are also wanted in a string of home burglaries and robberies in the city.
Lieutenant Colonel Ronnie Brillo, spokesperson for the BCPO, said their intelligence unit has not monitored any vigilante groups or gun-for-hire groups.
Brillo added that Police Station 1 has established old grudges and illegal drug activities as the motives behind last Friday’s murders.
Early Friday morning, the victims identified as Nobert Aguda and Kenneth Jamandre were walking along Araneta Street in the city’s downtown area when they were gunned down by motorcycle-riding gunmen.
The victims were declared dead on the spot by the responding officers and paramedics.
Police recovered eight .45 caliber shells at the crime scene at the crime scene, while a screwdriver and pliers were found inside the victims’ bag.
A background check revealed that Aguda and Jamandre were suspects in a series of home burglaries recorded in various police units across the city.
Following the incident and a recent surge in crimes in the city, BCPO director Colonel Noel Aliño has ordered an intensified police efforts to solve these crimes.
Police patrols, especially during the night and early morning, have also increased. (Watchmen Daily Journal)/PN
