Anti-crime volunteer slain in Cauayan

Police cordon the area at Barangay Caliling, Cauayan, Negros Occidental, where an anti-crime volunteer was shot dead by three unidentified men Wednesday. (Photo courtesy of Cauayan Municipal Police Station)

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

 

BACOLOD City – Police are probing three angles in the murder of a member of the Anti-Crime and Terrorism Community Involvement and Support (ACT-CIS) at Sitio Bil-at, Barangay Caliling, Cauayan, Negros Occidental last Wednesday.

Major Lowell Garinganao, town police chief, said that they are looking into work-related, personal, or insurgency-related angles in the killing of 54-year-old Elmer Dela Torre.

On July 15, Dela Torre was tending to his goat a few meters away from his house when three unidentified armed men shot him to death.

Police recovered from the scene three empty shells and a fired slug of .45-caliber ammunition.

Garinganao said they cannot yet ascertain the motive for the killing since the victim had no enemies in the area.

He said they are checking with the Army if the victim was one of their assets in the anti-insurgency campaign.

He also said that members of the ACT-CIS are considered force multipliers of the police.