By Jennifer P. Rendon
Two persons were killed in separate shooting episodes in Iloilo province.
The incidents happened in the towns of Lemery evening of June 26 and in Ajuy afternoon of June 27, 2020.
Police identified the fatality in Lemery as Ronie Peñol, 48, a resident of Barangay Dalipe.
According to Captain Edwin Belarmino, Lemery police chief, the suspect, Michael Dableo, was about to sleep when the victim arrived at his house around 9 pm Friday.
Peñol was allegedly armed with a sugarcane bolo, prompting Dableo to shoot him.
Before the shooting episode, the two argued while on a drinking spree.
Dableo fled after the incident but surrendered to Lemery Police Station several hours later.
Belarmino said the suspect admitted having shot the victim after the latter attempted to hack him.
Peñol succumbed to gunshot injuries on his chest.
Just like in Lemery, the suspect in the Ajuy shooting incident also claimed self-defense.
The incident happened around 3 pm Saturday at NHA Village in Barangay San Antonio.
Police identified the victim as R Den Jade Tupas, 30, while the suspect was Roen Estacion, 38, both residents of the said place.
Captain Roy Castro, Ajuy police chief, said the incident happened when Tupas went to Estacion’s store and asked if he could take some items on credit.
But the suspect declined, as the victim still has unpaid debts from his store.
This irked Tupas who took a knife from the store and attempted to stab the suspect.
But Estacion was quick to pull a gun and shot the victim. He immediately fled after the incident and remains at large as of this writing.
Peñol was declared dead at Sara District Hospital.
Recovered from the crime scene was a cartridge of caliber .45 ammunition.
