By CYRUS M. GARDE
BACOLOD City — A former member of the Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit had been shot to death in Brgy. Mansalanao, La Castellana town.
Senior Insp. Ruben Pajarito, La Castellana police chief, identified the victim as Jovito Velasco, 55, of the said barangay.
Velasco succumbed to multiple gunshot wounds in the body.
The incident happened when Velasco and his wife, Angelica, were bound for home from the town market onboard a passenger tricycle at about 2 p.m. on Sunday.
Pajarito said that when the tricycle reached a secluded area in the village, three suspects fired at the couple.
Velasco tried to mislead the suspects by disembarking from the tricycle and running toward a sugarcane plantation, leaving his wife behind.
The suspects ran after Velasco and caught up with him. They peppered him with bullets.
Pajarito said the suspects, while shooting Velasco, yelled at the victim, “Isa ka ka traidor! Impormer ka sang military (You are a traitor and military informant).”
The suspects fled through the sugarcane field after the incident.
Eleven empty .45-caliber shells were recovered from the crime scene.
Angelica was unhurt. She said she was shocked.
She told the police that one of the suspects, who she was able to identify, was a member of the New People’s Army. Pajarito refused to reveal the suspect’s identity.
Police were still hunting the suspects. Murder charges will be filed against them./PN
