By Jennifer P. Rendon
The murder of a 51-year old man inside his house in Arevalo, Iloilo City evening of Sept 2 remains a mystery.
Ludovico Araneta was resting inside his home at Barangay Sto. Niño Sur when two armed men barged inside his room around 7 pm Wednesday.
Araneta was not given any chance to defend himself as the two intruders immediately shot him. He suffered two gunshot injuries on his back.
Araneta was rushed to the hospital but was declared dead on arrival.
The suspects left his wife and two young grandchildren physically unharmed.
Police Major Edgar Anonoy, Arevalo police chief, said Araneta’s wife and two children were in the living room when the suspects arrived.
His wife told investigators she could not identify any of the suspects because they were wearing face masks, crash helmets, and jackets.
Anonoy said the victim’s two grandchildren appeared to have been traumatized and were just crying.
The suspects believed to have left their getaway vehicle – a motorcycle – by the roadside and walked around 100 meters in an alley in going to the victim’s abode.
From the looks of it, “it was a handiwork of a professional hitman,” Anonoy said.
The suspects immediately left the area after the incident.
Anonoy said they are still gathering CCTV footages of the escape of the two gunmen.
CRIMINAL RECORDS
Anonoy said they’re still going through with the victim’s police records.
But initial probe showed that he was accused of murder in 2013. He was also a suspect for a frustrated murder charge.
On top of that, Araneta was also a tokhang surrenderer.
In fact, “he used to be a member of a drug syndicate operating in Iloilo City,” he said.
As such, Anonoy said it is possible that the victim was involved in a “turf war.”
“There are other possible motives in the killing. And we’re looking at any lead that we will gather,” he said.
Police have recovered seven empty shells and three deformed slugs of unknown caliber at the crime scene.
