By Glazyl Y. Masculino
BACOLOD City – Police are eyeing grudges linked to debt as possible motive behind the killing of a woman at Purok Perez, Barangay 2-Poblacion, Pontevedra, Negros Occidental last Saturday.
Authorities identified the victim as Melaurie Pagunsan, 48, of the said village.
Police Captain Hancel Lumandaz, town police chief, said Pagunsan and her son were about to open their store beside their house around 5:28 a.m. Saturday, when two unidentified men were seen a few meters away from their store.
Lumandaz said the two men then approached the victim and shot her at close range.
Pagunsan succumbed to at least six gunshot wounds in the body and head.
Lumandaz said the perpetrators were reportedly seen in the area before the victim came out of their house to open their store.
“Daw gatambay na kuno nga daan ang duwa ka laki sagwa, tapos ginpalapitan lang siya,” he added.
The suspects, whose faces were covered with cloth masks, fled on board a motorcycle.
Police recovered from the scene six empty shells of .45 caliber ammunition.
Lumandaz said the victim was jailed for estafa in 2018.
“Damo daw siya gina bayran na utang and sa lending, it seems na may kaakig gid ang naghimo sini sa iya,” the police chief added.
Lumandaz said that it’s possible also that the suspects may be gun-for-hire.
He said they have yet to ask the victim’s family if she had threats prior to the incident.
He said they are trying to look for closed circuit television (CCTV) camera footage for the possible identification of the suspects.
