5 killed in 3 shooting incidents in Negros Occidental in just 8 hours

NEGROS OCCIDENTAL, Philippines – In a span of just 8 hours, 5 people – including a board member and a village watchman – were killed in 3 separate shooting incidents in the province over the weekend.

All these happened just days after the province was declared “peaceful and ready for further development” due to its improving peace and order situation.

Senior Superintendent Samuel Nacion, officer-in-charge of the provincial police office, said on Sunday, June 28, that he has already intensified security in the province following the three separate shooting incidents.

The first incident was reported in Barangay Rizal in San Carlos City wherein two men on board a Chevrolet Spark were gunned down evening of Saturday. The victims sustained gunshot wounds on their head, which killed them instantly.

Police recovered 4 fired empty cartridges, 3 live ammunitions and two fired bullets of .45 caliber firearm, a cellular phone, a red room key, an electronic weighing scale, and P750 cash from the vehicle.

Nacion added that both victims came from Bacolod City, and that one of them – identified as Jimmy Snook – was under the town’s drug watchlist. 

Three hours later, a village watchman – identified as Richard Castro, a member of the Barangay Peacekeeping Action Team – was shot dead in his home in barangay Agboy in Candoni town.

Nacion said Castro was watching television when he was shot at around 10 pm. The victim sustained gunshot wound on the right clavicular area of his body.

After three hours, Board Member Renato Malabor and his guard Leody Jomilla were shot in a cockfighting arena in Barangay Guintubhan in Isabela town.

The provincial government has set a P2 million reward for any information that can lead to the arrest of the suspect.

In all these cases, the suspects remain at large, and the police are yet to identify the motives for the killings.

Nacion said he has already asked his men to maximize security patrol, tighten checkpoint operation, and intensify the campaign against loose firearms following these incidents.

On June 10, Negros Occidental was declared “peaceful and ready for further development” after the occurrence of violence, criminality, insurgency and subversion has become negligible and isolated in the province. – Rappler.com