By Glazyl Y. Masculino
BACOLOD City – Three persons, including an alleged asset of a government agency, were gunned down in separate shooting incidents here and in two areas of Negros Occidental in the past two days.
In Bacolod City, alleged asset Gerome Sientos, 62, of Barangay 29, was killed by unidentified armed men on board a red Toyota Innova at Barangay 32 around 9AM yesterday.
Major Ramel Sarona, head of Police Station 1, said Sientos was standing near a sari-sari store when the vehicle arrived, when its passengers, who were wearing bonnets, shot him at close range then fled.
The victim suffered multiple gunshot wounds which led to his immediate death.
Police recovered from the scene 16 fired cartridges of .45-caliber ammunition.
Sarona said they are eyeing grudges as possible motive behind the attack. He also added that they are verifying with a government agency if he was indeed tapped as an asset on illegal activities.
“May ka akig gid ang pagpatay sa iya,” he added.
In Ilog town, Ronilo Ansag, 34, of Barangay Galicia was shot dead by two unidentified persons on a motorcycle at Barangay Dancalan last Tuesday.
Lieutenant Alfonso Precia, officer-in-charge of Ilog Municipal Police Station, said Ansag dropped off his wife at her workplace when the incident happened.
Precia said it was possible that he was tailed by the perpetrators.
Precia said the victim succumbed to three gunshot wounds in his mouth, head, and back.
Precia said they are initially looking into vengeance as possible angle in the incident, adding that the victim had a murder case in Kabankalan City, but was released in 2017 probably after his case was dismissed or settled.
Precia said the victim was also previously arrested in Himamaylan City for violating the election gun ban and was accused of grave threats in the town last year.
“Basi may gusto magbalos sa iya kay damu man complaints sa iya dati,” he added.
In Escalante City, Antonio Arellano, 54, of Barangay Malasibog was murdered by four unidentified persons in the said village last Tuesday, possibly due to a land dispute, according to Major Gil Despi, city police chief.
Despi said the victim was walking around his sugarcane plantation when the incident happened.
Despi said the victim died from multiple gunshot wounds. Recovered by police from the scene were 14 cartridges of .45-caliber ammunition and a bullet.
He said the victim was a leader of a farmers’ group in the area.
