ILOILO City – The killing of the former barangay captain of Pali-Benedicto, Mandurriao district is baffling the police.
Who shot to death Joel Obregon, 61, and why?
At the time of his death on Tuesday night, April 2, in front of his house, Obregon was serving as barangay councilman of Pali-Benedicto. He ran for kagawad in the barangay election last May 2018 after completing his term as village chief.
Two men on a motorcycle peppered Obregon with bullets around 6:45 p.m. as the councilman was about to enter his house.
“We have a closed-circuit television camera footage of the crime. We will have it enhanced to identify the gunmen,” said Police Major Marlon Valencia, Mandurriao police chief.
Policemen recovered from the crime scene nine spent bullet shells of a .45 pistol.
A few months ago, Obregon disclosed to the Mandurriao police station that he had been receiving death threats, said Valencia.
“However, he gave no further details,” according to the district police chief.
In 2016 Obregon was tagged a suspected drug personality but the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Region 6 cleared him in 2017.
Current Pali-Benedicto village chief Alan Juares said Obregon was in their barangay’s drug list as alleged protector.
In Nov. 28, 2016 operatives of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group Region 6 raided Obregon’s house. They found ammunitions but no firearms.
CIDG operatives recovered the following:
* 40 ammunitions for a super .38 handgun
* four M16 magazines
* four empty shells of a .45 pistol
* empty shell of a .9mm pistol
* an air rifle
* rifle bag./PN
