BACOLOD CITY – Four persons, including a former mayor, were shot to death by unidentified armed men believed to be members of the New People’s Army in three separate shooting incidents in Negros Oriental early yesterday morning.
In Canlaon City, some 20 men barged into the house of Ramon Jalandoni in Barangay Panubigan at 12:14 a.m. and shot the councilor dead.
Police Staff Sgt. Gerold Depositario of the Canlaon City Police Station said the assailants were armed with long firearms and fled board a white van. The victim’s family was left unharmed.
Depositario said the assailants sprayed paint on the victim’s car, saying “Mabuhay CPP-NPA.”
After six minutes, Barangay Panubigan chairman Ernesto Posadas, 71, was also gunned down by several armed men at his residence around 12:20 a.m.
Depositario said the victim was allegedly shot on the head. He was declared dead at the hospital.
The assailants then sprayed paint on the wall, saying “Traidor sa NPA” and also painted outside the house “Mabuhay ang NPA.”
They escaped on board a white van. No other injuries were reported.
Depositario said two teams took part in the operations.
Although the area is not rebel-infested, the killings were probably insurgency-related, he added.
In Ayungon, former Mayor Edsel Enardecido, 60, and his cousin, Leo, 45, both of Barangay Tampocon 1, were killed by unidentified armed men at their residence around 2:30 a.m. Both sustained multiple injuries.
It was unclear if the shooting was connected to the twin incidents in Canlaon.
But the local police noted the striking similarities of the killings. (Glazyl Masculino)
