BACOLOD City – The Police Regional Office–Negros Island Region (PRO-NIR) has ordered the creation of a Special Investigation Task Group (SITG) to thoroughly investigate the killing of a barangay kagawad on November 3, 2025, in Barangay Tambad, Cauayan, Negros Occidental.
Authorities withheld the identity of the victim, who was identified by the police as an active member of an anti-communist organization. He was shot dead early Monday morning outside his home.
Initial investigation revealed that around 5 a.m., six unidentified armed men arrived in front of the victim’s residence and called him outside. When he came out, the suspects ordered him to sit down and then shot him multiple times without provocation.
The assailants immediately fled toward an unknown direction. The victim sustained gunshot wounds in the chest and abdomen and was declared dead on arrival at the Cauayan Health Center by attending physician Dr. Ayessa Hugnatan.
Recovered from the crime scene were three empty cartridges and one deformed slug, all of 5.56mm caliber, believed to have been fired from a long firearm.
The Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) and the Forensic Unit of the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (NOCPPO) were dispatched to process the area and gather crucial evidence for forensic examination.
The SITG will be composed of investigators from the NOCPPO, Cauayan Municipal Police Station, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), and other support units, in coordination with the 15th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army. The task group will pursue all possible motives, including those related to the victim’s position as barangay kagawad and his affiliation with SAMBAYANAN–Cauayan Chapter, an anti-communist group.
PRO-NIR Regional Director Brig. Gen. Arnold Thomas Ibay strongly condemned the brutal killing, describing it as “a cowardly act that has no place in a peaceful and democratic society.”
“We condemn in the strongest terms this violent attack against an elected barangay official. Rest assured that the PRO-NIR will exhaust all resources to ensure that justice is served swiftly and that those responsible are held accountable,” Ibay said.
He further emphasized that PRO-NIR remains committed to maintaining peace and security across the Negros Island Region and to protecting the lives of local leaders who serve as vital partners in peacekeeping and community development./PN
