BACOLOD City – A village councilor was shot dead by two motorcycle-riding gunmen while manning a quarantine checkpoint in Barangay Minoyan, Murcia, Negros Occidental.
Police identified the councilor as Rex Dalmacio, a retired soldier. The victim was able to fire back, killing one of his assailant.
The incident happened around 11:40 p.m. on March 26. Dalmacio was enforcing the municipal curfew to contain the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) with four barangay village watchmen, who were also shot and wounded by one of the gunmen.
Wounded were Romeo Canoy, Samuel Ciocon, Rommel Udani, and Alex Losorio.
The killed gunman was identified as Jonel Cardinal, while his companion, Alfredo Agustin, was arrested by personnel of the Murcia Municipal Police Station at about 9 a.m. on Friday. He was caught in the house of his sister, also in Murcia.
Murcia police chief, Major Robert Dejucos, said the case is considered solved with the arrest of the second suspect, who is also wanted for murder based on a standing arrest warrant issued against him.
The arresting team seized a .45- caliber pistol from Agustin, he added.
Agustin had blood on his face when he was brought to the police station and interviewed by radio reporters. He was also said to have a gunshot wound on his leg due to the previous night’s encounter.
Policemen brought him to the health center.
Investigation showed that Cardinal and Agustin were flagged down at the checkpoint for curfew violation but they refused to be booked.
“One of the suspects shot the kagawad and also fired at the tanod. The kagawad then found the opportunity to fire at the suspect, whom he also killed. The second suspect also shot the kagawad causing his death,” Dejucos said. (With a report from PNA/PN)
