DAR employee shot dead in Sipalay City

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD CITY – Police are investigating work-related issues or grudges as possible motives behind the killing of an employee of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) at Purok Sandia, Barangay Mambaroto, Sipalay City, Negros Occidental, yesterday.

The victim was identified as Andre Maria Pajarillo, 57, of Candoni town, who was assigned as a senior agrarian reform technologist in DAR Sipalay.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Fernando Somblingo Jr., city police chief, said the victim was driving his motorcycle on his way to work around 8:35 a.m. when he was waylaid by two unidentified persons.

The victim succumbed to two gunshot wounds in the neck and head, according to Somblingo. Police recovered two fired cartridges of a 9mm caliber firearm from the scene.

Somblingo stated that the perpetrators may have tailed the victim. One of them was the gunman, and the other was believed to be a lookout, he added.

Somblingo mentioned they are probing other factors related to the victim’s work, considering his involvement in the government’s land distribution program.

According to the victim’s family, Pajarillo had not shared if he had received any threats before the incident.

“We’re still gathering information and continue investigating the incident,” Somblingo added.