Slaughter of Innocents

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CASE DETAILS: Nine persons, one of whom a boy, have been killed, while another person has survived in attack in separate incidents in the cities of Cagayan de Oro, Davao, General Santos, Tagum and a municipality in Davao del Sur. One of those dead though was a witness who killed himself due to fear after witnessing another killing.

As described in Case No. 4, the 16-year-old boy was repeatedly stabbed while in his sleep while another person in Case No. 6 was a self-proclaimed vigilante. The latter was reported to have been mulcting money from those whom he had considered to have criminal records purposely for their “protection”.

As mentioned earlier, in Case No. 5, a man who had witness the shooting of another person sometime in April of this year in General Santos City has killed himself. His mother said that his son’s paranoia that someone is out to kill him and that he could have been the next target began after he had witnessed the murder of his neighbor.

Case No. 1: Another man shot dead

Victim: Regedon Lavarez, of legal age, resident of El Salvador, Cagayan de Oro City
Date: 29 July at 8 p.m.

Unidentified suspect shot a man to death in El Salvador in Cagayan de Oro on July 29.

PO1 Loue Acuno, prober of the El Salvador Police Station, identified the victim as Redegon Lavarez, of legal age, and resident of Purok-1, Poblacion, El Salvador.

Lavarez was just hanging around outside his house at around 8 p.m. when he was approached by the suspect and shot him without provocation.

Lavarez succumbed to gunshot wounds in his head and in the different parts of his body. He was already dead when the responding policemen arrived.

The suspect is still at large. Police are making further investigation to know the motive of the killing and to establish the background of the victim.

Case No. 2: Man shot twice in the head survives

Victim: Bartolome Madeo, of legal age, resident of Barangay Marabatuan, Jose Abad Santos, Davao del Sur
Date: 29 July

A man survived the slay attempt of a motorcycle-riding suspect, who shot him twice in his head in the afternoon of July 29.

The victim was identified as Bartolome Madeo, resident of Barangay Marabatuan, Jose Abad Santos, Davao del Sur.

Investigation conducted by the police revealed, Madeo was onboard his motorcycle cruising along Sitio Kitala in Barangay Carahayan when the suspect, who was onboard a motorcycle, shot him twice.

Witnesses said the suspect sped off to unknown direction, while concerned citizens brought the victim to the Jose Abad Santos District Hospital for treatment.

Police are trying to get information on the identity of the victim.

Case No. 3: Man shot five times

Victim: Romualdo Diamante, 32, of Coaco Beach, Lanang, Davao City Date: 27 July at 1:35 p.m.

Romualdo Diamante, 32, and resident of Coaco Beach in Lanang, Davao City was killed by two of the three unidentified men while he was standing along the shoreline just a few meters away from his house on July 27.

Police investigation revealed, Diamante was at the shoreline at around 1:35 p.m. when he was approached by three unidentified men. Two of the men, shot Diamante from his back without provocation.

Diamante was declared dead when police arrived with five gunshot wounds in his head, nape, and at back portion of his body.

Five empty shells and a slug of a caliber .45 pistol were recovered by the police at the scene of crime.

“Under follow-up investigation pa gihapon kay gina-check pa namo unsa’y background pud aning biktima (The incident is under follow-up, we are still investigating on the background of the victim),” police said.

Case No. 4: A boy stabbed dead in his sleep

Victim: Raymond Murio, 16, resident of SIR New Matina, Davao City
Date: 27 July at 9:30 p.m.

A young boy was stabbed to death while sleeping outside their house in SIR New Matina, Davao City on July 27.

Dead on arrival at the Davao Medical Center was Raymond Murio, 16.
Information gathered from the hospital showed the incident happened at around 9:30 p.m.

Murio’s father said that that he was washing his feet just a few meters away where his son was sleeping when he noticed someone running away.

When he checked, he found his son bloodied with stab wounds in the right and left portion of his chest. He then brought his son to the hospital where the latter was declared dead.

Case No. 5: Man who witness vigilante killing kills himself

Victim:
1. Aque Aballe, 29, resident of Barangay Apopong, General Santos City
Date: 27 July

TWO people committed suicide inside their house in separate incidents in Barangay Apopong and in Barangay Labangal, General Santos City on July 27.

Aque Aballe, 29, and resident of Purok 6, Sitio Lanton, Barangay Apopong, was found dead with a cord tied around his neck by his mother, Rosario.

Rosario disclosed that prior to the incident, they observed that her son seemed to be out of his mind.

Rosario shared that her son has witnessed the killing of one alias Badboy, also a resident of the place, who was shot to death by unidentified gunmen on April 18.

“Adtong gipatay si Badboy naa siya sa iyang kiliran, hapit pa man gani siya apilon sa mga killer apan maayo na lang kay ingon sa mga suspek nga dili mao ang ilang sunod nga patyon unta, didto nagsugod ang nerbiyos sa akong anak (When alias Badboy was killed, my son was on his side. One of the suspects even tried to shot my son, but another said that he will not be the next target. Since then, my son acted differently),” Rosario said.

Case No. 6: Self-proclaimed vigilante shot dead

Victim: Jerry Lucenda Tanare, 32, resident of Juan Luna Street, Davao City
Date: 26 July at 9 p.m.

On July 26, a man, who claims to be a member of the Davao Death Squad, was gunned down by an unidentified suspect in Barrio Obrero, Davao City.

Police identified the victim as Jerry Lucenda Tañare alias Loloy, 32, and resident of Juan Luna Street, Davao City.

In his investigation, PO2 Virgilio Arrubio, of the Sta. Ana police station, said the incident happened at around 9p.m.

Tañare was talking to an unidentified man in front of a billiard hall along Veloso and Porras Streets in Barrio Obrero when two unidentified men approached him, one of them pulled out a caliber .45 pistol and shot Tañare at a close range.

Police believe that the incident is drug-related, adding that Tañare claims that he is a member of the Davao Death Squad (DDS) and encourages those who are involved in selling and buying prohibited drugs to ask protection from him.

“Mao na’y istorya nga among nadungog. Last time pud, naa mi nadakpan nga involved sa drugs, nagaduaw na siya. Ginapangayoan niya og kuwarta tong among nadakpan kay siya na daw bahala. So posible nga drug related ni (That was the information we heard. The last time we apprehend a man who is involved in drugs, he was there to pay visit. He even asked money from the man and assured the latter that he will take care of everything),” Arrubio said.

However, Arrubio disclosed that they will conduct further investigation of the incident.

Case No. 7: Gunmen on motorcycle shot dead another businessman

Victim: Fernando Reyes, 43, of Lorenzo Village, Tagum City
Date: 26 July

On July 26, two motorcycle-riding men shot a businessman to death in Barangay Magugpo East, Tagum City.

Police investigation revealed, the victim named Fernando Reyes, 43, and resident of Lorenzo Village in Tagum City, was onboard his motorcycle when he was shot by the suspects.

Witnesses claimed that they saw the suspects leaving the crime scene riding on a motorcycle. They added that they heard three successive gun burst in the area before they discovered the victim already lying on the pavement.

Initial report conducted by Dr. Arnel Florendo, the victim succumbed to three wounds in his head causing his instantaneous death.

Police recovered three empty shells of a caliber .45 pistol in the crime scene. They have still no idea what is the motive of the incident, saying that they will conduct in-depth investigation to identify the background of the victim.

Case No. 8: Young man killed in front of brother

Victim: Christopher Sameron, 24, of Dona Soledad, General Santos City
Date: 26 July at 10 a.m.

A 24-year-old man died after he was shot by unidentified suspects inside their residence compound in Dona Soledad, Barangay Labangal, General Santos City on July 26.

The victim, named Christopher Sameron, was just fixing the motorcycle of his neighbor inside their residence compound at around 10 a.m. when two unidentified men appeared, one of them shot him in the right side portion of his body.

Sameron’s younger brother, Jun-Jun, not his true name, claimed that his brother, though wounded, tried to run inside their house, but the suspects followed.

Jun-Jun said he also saw his brother rushed at the back door to seek assistance from their policeman neighbor, but before he could do it, he was again shot by the suspects several times.

The suspects, Jun-Jun said, immediately went out of their residence compound and left onboard a motorcycle.

Sameron’s neighbors, on the other hand, disclosed that two other men onboard another motorcycle was seen hanging around outside Sameron’s residence and also left after the suspects left.

Senior Police Office (SPO1) Rex Diongon, prober of the Makar police station, said they will conduct further investigation of the incident. He said the victim was a painter at the General Santos City Police Office.

“Wala pa gihapon mi matudlong motibo tungod sa akong pagtan-aw walay dautang rekord sa among buhatan dili pa usab kami makasulti kung kini naalaan lang (We cannot still establish the motive of the killing because as far as I can remember, the victim has no criminal record in our station, we also cannot say by now if that the victim was just mistaken as somebody),” SPO1 Diongon said.

Case No. 9: Gunmen riding on motorcycle shot two persons dead

Victims:
1. Adjun Villanueva, 26, resident of Barangay (village) Fatima, General Santos City
2. Ariel Valdez, 18, resident of Purok Saway, Barangay Labangal, General Santos City
Date: 25 July at 11:50 a.m. and 12 midnight

Two men were shot to death by unidentified suspects in separate incidents in General Santos City on July 25.

Adjun Villanueva, 26, former fisherman of the Kimball Fishing, and resident Barangay Fatima was walking towards a store along the roadside in Barangay Calumpang to buy bananas at around 11:50 a.m. when two unidentified suspects onboard a single motorcycle appeared and shot him.

Police Officer 3 (PO3) Joselito Medalle, prober of the Tambler Police Station, said Villanueva succumbed to gunshot wounds to his head and chest.

Meanwhile, one Ariel Valdez, 18, resident of Purok Saway, Barangay Labangal was on his way home at around 12 midnight on the same day when killed by two unidentified motorcycle-riding men.

Investigation showed Valdez was from a disco at a patronal fiesta at FVR Village in Barangay Fatima and was on his way home when he was followed by the two suspects.

The suspects, investigators said, opened fire at Valdez who was hit three times with a caliber .45 pistol in his head and chest.

Concerned citizens tried to save Valdez by bringing him to the hospital, but failed.

Today, police of the Tambler and the Fatima police stations are conducting in-depth investigation to know the motive of the two killings.

/Source: Sun.Star Super Balita