Eight gunmen kill truck driver

Police cordon the area where a truck driver was killed by eight unidentified armed persons at Barangay Bandila, Toboso Negros Occidental Thursday. (Photo courtesy of Toboso Municipal Police Station)

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD City – A truck driver was shot dead by eight unidentified armed men at Sitio Winaswasan, Barangay Bandila, Toboso Negros Occidental Thursday morning.

Captain Ellendie Rebusquillo, town police chief, identified the fatality as Jomar Alibutdan, 32, of Barangay Winaswasan.

Rebusquillo said that Alibutdan was driving his six-wheeler truck loaded with sugarcane, along with his helper when they were waylaid by the assailants around 8 a.m.

He said that the assailants, who were wearing bonnets, told them to disembark from the vehicle.

Then his helper was handcuffed and was told to run, he added.

After few minutes, the helper heard two gunshots and when he came back, he saw the victim already lying on the ground with two gunshot wounds in the head.

He was shot at close range. The gunmen fled on foot.

Police recovered from the scene a slug of an unknown firearm.

He said that they are eyeing land dispute and grudges as possible motives behind the killing.