By: Glazyl Y. Masculino and Dolly Yasa
BACOLOD City – Four persons, including the elder brother of a former councilor here were gunned down in separate shooting incidents here and in three areas in Negros Occidental over the weekend.
The most recent incident happened in broad daylight at Barangay Estefania here Sunday which resulted in the death of Robert “Kaishek” Tan, 70, of Barangay Villamonte here.
Initial investigation from the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) said Tan was driving a Nissan Sentra car after having coffee in the area when he was waylaid by two unidentified armed men on a motorcycle past 9 a.m.
He was shot six times. The driver’s side window of his car was riddled with five bullet holes.
Tan’s car crashed into the rear of the vehicle he was tailing when the incident happened.
Police Lieutenant Colonel Ariel Pico, public information officer of BCPO, said the suspects knew Tan’s routine.
He said they still have “very limited information” as to the motive of the incident, and that they have no identities yet of the suspects.
He said they are considering all possible angles, including illegal drugs, business, and grudge.
Tan was the elder brother of former Councilor Ricardo “Cano” Tan, who survived an ambush against him and his wife at Barangay Alangilan here in December 2018.
The former city official reportedly left the country with his family, following the attempt on his life last year.
He was also publicly accused by President Rodrigo Duterte to be involved in the illegal drug trade along with five other police officers.
Another shooting incident also occurred yesterday in Talisay City, killing an alleged voice instructor.
Last Saturday, a former village watchman at Barangay Cabahug in Sagay City was also killed by an unidentified armed man while he was riding his motorcycle at Barangay Lopez Jaena.
Slain was Virgilio Tingson, 28, of Barangay Cabahug. He was hit on his right leg.
Tingson was able to call his partner prompting the latter to seek for medical assistance. The victim was rushed to a hospital where he was declared dead.
In Murcia town, Louie Goral, 34, a native of Kabankalan City, and temporarily residing at Barangay Salvacion, Murcia town was allegedly killed by a jail officer at Barangay Salvacion after the former allegedly attempted to shoot Jail Officer 2 Reuben Gyle Severino, a native of San Enrique town, who was fixing his water pipe outside his residence.
Police records indicated that Severino was surprised when he saw Goral holding an improvised shotgun and attempting to shoot him. Goral’s gun got jammed prompting Severino to retaliate using his service firearm.
Goral succumbed to multiple gunshot wounds.
A certain “Anthony Ojeno,” 34, a native of San Enrique town was also allegedly involved in the incident after he was seen in the area where the killing happened, police said.
Police recovered from the scene a .9mm pistol loaded with nine live ammunition, two fired cartridges of the same caliber, a holster, an improvised shotgun loaded with live ammunition, and live ammunition of a 12-gauge shotgun.
Severino and Ojeno voluntarily surrendered to the authorities.
Group condemns killing
Meanwhile, the business community here condemned Tan’s murder.
“Killings are eyesores… not only for business but for the whole community… it affects our city’s liveability attributes,” said Frank Carbon, executive officer of the Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MBCCI).
Carbon also said that “as what we (business sector) have been saying… Negros Occidental and Bacolod are relatively peaceful for the last many years.”
“We have not experienced this kind of killings. We cannot make sense why these killings? The sector is very worried and wary. We hope our local officials and our police force could come out and make some statements to assure the public that they are in control,” he added.
