2 men killed in shooting

By: Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD City – Two men were gunned down in two separate shooting incidents in the towns of Hinoba-an and Cauayan in Negros Occidental last Thursday.

In Hinoba-an town, Nilo Baldado, 54, of Barangay Culipapa was shot to death by five unidentified men at the said village around 7 a.m.

According to Police Major Clifford Batadhay, town police chief, Baldado was on his way home when he was waylaid by the perpetrators. Two of them allegedly fired their guns at him.

Batadhay said the victim died on the spot due to multiple gunshot wounds. He (Baldado) was shot at close range, the town police chief added.

Recovered from the scene was an empty shell of an unknown firearm.

He said they have no lead yet on the identities of the perpetrators but he claimed that they are eyeing retaliation as possible motive behind the killing, considering that the victim had an arrest warrant for rape.

He, however, did not elaborate further about the previous case of the victim.

In Cauayan town, Ronelo Devilay, 34, of Barangay Man-uling was gunned down by an unidentified man at the said village around 6 p.m.

Police Major Lowell Garinganao, town police chief, said the victim was riding a motorcycle from the public market to his house when the assailant shot him with a .45-caliber pistol.

Devilay sustained multiple gunshot wounds and was rushed to a hospital, where he was declared dead.

Police recovered from the scene four cartridges of the same caliber.

Garinganao said the victim was probably tailed by the assailant.

He said Devilay was one of the three alleged suspects in the killing of a woman at the said village last August based on the statement of some witnesses.

We learned that he allegedly threatened a witness to be silent regarding the death of a woman four months ago, he added.

It could be that the killing might be triggered by revenge because of his alleged participation in the crime few months ago, Garinganao said.