• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
A couple and their son were found dead early morning on Friday, May 2, outside their respective homes at Sitio Guinam-an, Barangay Buenavista in Murcia, Negros Occidental.
The victims succumbed to multiple gunshot wounds after they were shot the night before, according to the initial investigation of Murcia Municipal Police Station.
They were identified as Neldi Celayes, 59, his wife Josephine, 60, and their son, Jovi, 33.
Maj. Sherwin Fernandez, Murcia police chief, raised the possibility that the victims may have known the assailants.
Fernandez said they are looking into land conflict as among the possible motives.
Recovered from the scene of the incident were several slugs and bullet shells of still undetermined caliber of firearms.
The Celayes couple had no companions in their house. Their son was staying in a nearby house.
A witness told the police that he heard successive gunshots, but he did not mind it, thinking those were sounds from firecrackers.
Police investigation further showed that two assailants may have been involved in the commission of the crime.
Meanwhile, a 53-year-old farmer died on the spot after he was shot by a 61-year-old suspect at Sitio Bulwang, Barangay Bi-ao, Binalbagan also on Thursday night.
The suspect was later arrested by policemen with the assistance of soldiers from the Philippine Army’s 62nd Infantry Battalion.
Before the incident, the victim and the suspect had a drinking spree, wherein a heated argument ensued and led to a shooting incident, initial police investigation showed.
The police recovered the suspect’s caliber .45 pistol with a magazine containing nine ammunition while two fired cartridges were found at the crime scene. | GB
