By LESLEY CAMINADE VESTIL
LAPU-LAPU CITY, Cebu – A 42-year-old member of a cause-oriented group was gunned down by two men in Sitio Maxima, Barangay Punta Engano here Wednesday afternoon.
Police identified the victim as Butch “Totskie” Rosales of Barangay Punta Engano.
Investigation showed that the victim was seated in front of a jeepney for Mandaue City when one of the suspects boarded the vehicle.
The suspect pulled out a .45 caliber pistol and shot Rosales in the head several times. The suspect disembarked from the jeep and boarded a getaway motorcycle driven by his companion.
PO3 Aaron Guevara of the Mactan police station said the suspects were brazen in their plan to kill Rosales as they were not wearing masks.
Witnesses who saw the incident couldn’t describe the suspects’ identities due to fear.
Police are determining if Rosales’ murder may have been related to his work as an activist.
In a Facebook post, Karapatan-Central Visayas identified Rosales as an active volunteer of Rise Up Cebu, a cause-oriented network dedicated to the defense of life and protection of human rights against drug-related extrajudicial killings and violations.