Vigilantes in Bacolod? 3 slays in less than 30 days

BACOLOD City – Were vigilantes behind the recent killings here of two drug suspects and a police officer?

In less than a month, two drug suspects were brutally killed by unknown suspects. The latest was yesterday in Barangay Banago.

Around 1:10 p.m., a handcuffed Mark Anthony Cubos of Aguinaldo Street was found with 26 gunshot wounds. Beside him was a placard with the words, “El vigilante drug lord warrior” and “segeha pa, segeha pa, segeha nyo pa, INTERES PA LANG NI SA SINI NGA BULAN”

Investigation was ongoing.

On Sept. 18 last year, a report showed Cubos was “ambushed” by unidentified persons while onboard his motorcycle. He was not hurt. The suspects remained unidentified.

Last month (Aug. 31), drug suspect Glenn Paul Castillo of Barangay Cabug was shot, stabbed and beheaded on Rosario Street, Barangay 38.

His head was recovered almost three kilometers away in Purok Sigay, Barangay 2.

Eight people were last seen with Castillo.

Police recovered several empty .9mm and .45 bullet casings from the crime scene.

On Aug. 29, Police Staff Sergeant Joseph Nepomoceno, member of the City Drug Enforcement Unit of the Bacolod City Police Office, was shot to death by riding-in-tandem suspects.

He sustained multiple gunshot wounds.

The motorcycle-riding Nepomoceno was in civilian clothes. 

Six empty shells of a .45 pistol were recovered from the crime scene.

Who was/were behind the trigger?  

Police Brigadier General Rolando Miranda, director of the Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6), made it clear: “Walang vigilante group dito.”

He said the PRO-6 would look into the killings, adding that the perpetrators could be members of drug groups operating here and in Negros Occidental.

Kung mayron mang vigilante group hindi ko papayagan na ilagay nila ang justice sa kamay nila. We have to do it in a legal way, hind na sila ang maghusga. I will not allow them to create crimes,” Miranda told Panay News.

He appealed to the people who might have information regarding the assailants to contact the police.  

Ibigay nyo information sa amin especially ang names at illegal activities nila para maka-conduct tayo ng operation,” he added.

Miranda believed that the motive might be a war between drug groups in relation to their illegal drug trade.

Earlier, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in Region 6 revealed there were four drug groups operating in this city and Negros Occidental.

PDEA-6 director Arlex Tablate said the members of these drug groups were remnants of previous groups that were neutralized.

However, Tablate could not conclude who organized these groups, but some of their members are now the targets of the operations.

A vigilante is a group composed of some persons who try in an unofficial way to prevent crime, or to catch and punish someone who has committed a crime, especially because they do not think that official organizations, such as the police, are controlling crime effectively./PN

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