By: Jennifer P. Rendon
A jeepney dispatcher is the latest fatality in the unabated killings perpetrated by riding-in-tandem gunmen in Iloilo City.
Earl Jun Agudo, a resident of Barangay Mabolo-Delgado, City Proper district, Iloilo City, was gunned down while at the Mohon Terminal in Mohon village, Arevalo district.
Agudo, dispatcher of modern public utility jeepneys (PUJs) under Metro Express Connect Inc. plying the route Mohon-Vista Mall, succumbed to multiple gunshot injuries on his head.
The incident happened 6:27 p.m. Thursday.
Agudo was declared dead at Western Visayas Medical Center in Mandurriao district.
Scene of the crime operatives recovered eight empty shells of caliber .9mm ammunition and three deformed slugs.
Witnesses said the two suspects waited for victim at the back of the empty PNP Community Police Assistance Center (COMPAC) of Arevalo Police Station.
Police Major Regina Roquim, Arevalo police chief, said COMPAC personnel had been pulled out in the area following the end of the deployment of BISOC (Basic Internal Security Operations Course) trainees.
Instead of stationary deployment, police conduct roving patrol in the area.
The COMPAC area provides access to the transport terminal.
The motorcycle driver, who was wearing a crash helmet and black jacket, stayed with the bike while the backrider went near the victim.
A witness claimed he did not clearly see the backrider’s face, as he was wearing a cap and a jacket.
As the backrider saw Agudo, he went near the victim and repeatedly shot him.
They then sped off towards Oton.
A closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera captured the incident but it failed to provide leads on the suspects’ identities.
PERSONAL GRUDGES
Roquim said they cannot confirm the motive for the killing but he claimed investigators are following a lead.
She said Agudo was not on their watchlist of illegal drugs personalities but “we’re still gathering information about his profile in the area where he used to reside.”
A relative of Agudo claimed that personal grudges might have triggered the incident.
Shortly before his death, Agudo claimed that he had a work-related misunderstanding.
Roquim claimed it was one of the leads that they are investigating now.
Of the series of riding-in-tandem incident that happened since late 2018, none had been arrested.
Almost all victims of these killings involved drug personalities, either Tokhang surrenderers or drug convicts.
