Unidentified gunmen shot and killed a former village kagawad yesterday, Oct. 22, in Brgy. Mabini, Escalante City, Negros Occidental.
Police identified the fatality as Ernesto Valiente, who became the third victim in the spate of shooting incidents since Oct. 10 in the remote barangays of the northern Negros city.
Valiente, 60, a former kagawad of Brgy. Malasibog, Escalante City, succumbed to multiple gunshot wounds, authorities said.
He was declared dead on arrival at the Vicente Gustilo District Hospital, reports added.
Police investigations showed that Valiente was walking behind his companions on his way to the residence of his son, when a grey pick-up vehicle, without a plate number, stopped beside him.
Two armed men alighted from the pick up and without provocation shot him several times.
The suspects immediately fled towards Brgy. Balintawak, Escalante City, after the incident.
Recovered from the crime scene were six empty shells, a slug of 45 caliber pistol and a fired cartridge of M-16 assault rifle, police reports said.
Prior to the killing of Valiente, the driver of the Escalante City Police Station identified as RJ Bautista was also shot dead by unidentified men in Brgy. Malasibog on Oct. 10.
Baustista’s killing was followed by the shooting of Traffic Enforcer Julieto Morales on Oct. 20 in Brgy. Paitan, also in Escalante City. GPB
