BACOLOD City – Four separate shooting incidents in Negros Occidental on Good Friday and Black Saturday killed a man and injured four others, reports from the Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6) showed.
The 58-year-old Sunny Villamor of Barangay Tabugon, Kabankalan City was gunned down while on his way home from Barangay Camansi, also in Kabankalan City, around 5:30 p.m. on Friday.
Police tagged two suspects in Villamor’s death – the 21-year-old Joseph Dequitos and the 38-year-old Josing Caliwa.
From what the police have so far gathered, Villamor was from Rodelo Esteban’s house where he watched a card game tong-its prior to the attack.
Dequitos and Caliwa followed Villamor, police said.
Dequitos fired at Villamor first but missed. The latter managed to retaliate by stabbing Caliwa, who in turn shot him.
Dequitos fired at Villamor again, resulting to the latter’s death, police said.
Villamor’s 18-year-old son Sammy witnessed the shooting, added the police.
Police arrested Caliwa, who was brought to Bacolod City to get treatment for his stab wound, while Dequitos managed to escape.
Investigators said Villamor and Caliwa fought over tong-its on March 28, when the former accused the latter of cheating.
In Barangay Odiong, Moises Padilla, four suspected members of the New People’s Army (NPA) shot the 44-year-old Dave Tortal at his residence around 7:40 p.m. on Friday.
Tortal, a Barangay Peacekeeping Action Team member, was standing at his terrace when fired at. He got hit on the left thigh.
Tortal crawled inside the house, got his gun and fired back.
He told the police that the gunmen shouted “Mga NPA ni, hapa!” while continuing to fire at him.
Tortal was brought to Bacolod City for treatment, police said.
Still on Friday, two groups allegedly collecting “revolutionary taxes” for the NPA engaged in a shootout in Sitio Magsimbahanon, Barangay Malatas, Calatrava around 1:15 p.m.
According to investigators, there was a misunderstanding between the group of a certain “Kadong Mancao” and that of Arnie and Boboy Solitas.
One person was wounded but they have not yet been identified, said the police.
After the gunfight, joint operatives of the Calatrava and Toboso police stations set up checkpoints along the possible withdrawal routes of the groups.
At around 9:30 a.m. on Saturday four unidentified suspects shot a village councilman and his son in Barangay Inayawan, Cauayan.
Luciano Montilla Sr. of Barangay Baclao, Cauayan and son Luciano Jr. were on board a tricycle when the attackers waylaid them.
The suspects fled after the shooting while the Montillas were brought to the Cauayan District Hospital for treatment.
Police were still determining the motive in the shooting. (With a report from PNA/PN)
