By Jennifer P. Rendon
A village councilman and a Sangguniang Kabataan chairman were killed by unidentified gunmen evening of June 20, 2020 in Tubungan, Iloilo.
Police Lieutenant Rommel Samson, Tubungan police chief, identified the victims as Barangay Kagawad Harold Tablazon, 33, of Ago village, Tubungan, and SK chairman Glen Bunda, 22, of Barangay Tagpuan.
The incident happened as the two victims were homebound around 6:30 p.m. Saturday.
The duo came from Iloilo City where they worked as solar panel installers.
Samson said the victims were driving their respective motorcycles and were navigating Sitio Passi, Barangay Mayang when they were peppered with bullets.
“No one saw what happened. The nearest house where the incident happened was about 300 meters,” he said.
Samson said a resident went to the police station to report the incident.
The victims were declared dead at the scene.
Tubungan police investigators are still determining the identities of the suspects.
But they received information that a black vehicle was seen leaving the area, immediately after the gunshots were heard. The vehicle allegedly headed towards Leon town.
Recovered from the crime scene were 32 empty shells of caliber .9mm and caliber .45 ammunition.
Unrelated to police killing
Samson said that the killing of Tablazon and Bunda cannot be linked to the case of Police Master Sargent Arnel Paurillo, who was killed by suspected New People’s Army at Barangay Teniente Benito, Tubungan on June 15.
He also laughed off insinuations that the latest incident was in retaliation to Paurillo’s death.
“Daw kalayo gid,” he said.
While Bunda had clean records with the police, Tablazon was charged for the ambush on the Iloilo Provincial Mobile Force Company on Dec. 23, 2019.
Tablazon’s house was also raided by police on Dec 7, 2019 for illegal possession of firearms and ammunition.
