E-Bike Driver Dies After Silay Shooting

By Glazyl M. Jopson

SILAY CITY, Negros Occidental – A 52-year-old electric bike (e-bike) driver died Saturday, two days after being critically wounded in a random shooting in Silay City, as police cornered the two suspects in a hot pursuit operation.

Police Lt. Col. Mark Anthony Darroca, chief of the Silay City Police Station, identified the victim as “Fernando,” a resident of Barangay Lantad, who died at 4 p.m. while being treated at Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital in Bacolod City.

Darroca said they are coordinating with the hospital and the victim’s family to determine the official cause of death.

Fernando was shot in the abdomen on Thursday while sitting on his e-bike in Barangay Lantad.

He was one of three people injured in what police said were random shootings carried out by two motorcycle-riding suspects, one of whom is a barangay official.

SK Official Surrenders, Accomplice Killed

On Friday night, 24-year-old Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) councilor “RR” of Barangay Canlusong, E.B. Magalona, surrendered to police with the help of his family.

In a press briefing Saturday, Darroca said closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage captured both suspects during the July 10 incident.

RR was initially suspected to be the shooter but was later identified as the motorcycle driver.

The alleged gunman was identified as “Mark,” 34, of Cadiz City.

RR, who appeared at the briefing with Darroca, claimed he had no knowledge of Mark’s plans and said he thought they were only retrieving a motorcycle in Barangay Sum-ag, Bacolod City.

“I was surprised by his actions. Out of fear, I sped up. I didn’t know he had a gun. I apologize for what happened,” RR said in the local dialect.

He said he had known Mark for about a year as a customer at his motorcycle shop in Victorias City.

RR added that they stopped at his cousin’s house in Barangay Lantad to change clothes after being caught in the rain.

Police confirmed the suspects’ identities through the clothes they left at the cousin’s house.

Darroca said RR may have been exploited by Mark, who was reportedly a known drug personality in Cadiz City.

Although RR denied using drugs during the incident, he admitted to past drug use.

Meanwhile, Mark was killed in a buy-bust operation in Barangay Burgos, Cadiz City, on the night of July 11.

Police Lt. Lovella Cordova, deputy chief of the Cadiz City Police Station, said Mark fired at operatives during the operation, prompting them to return fire.

Recovered from the scene were a .45 caliber firearm and suspected shabu worth PHP136,000.

Police are verifying whether the recovered firearm was the same one used in the Silay shootings.

Darroca said Mark also had previous involvement in carnapping cases.

He noted that Cadiz police had already targeted Mark for a drug operation before Silay police linked him to the shooting spree.

“It so happened that we were targeting the same person for different offenses,” he said.

The attacks in Barangays Lantad and Rizal left three people injured: Fernando, a security guard and an amusement park worker.

Fernando died in the hospital less than two days after the incident, while the two others are recovering in separate hospitals.

Police said charges are being prepared against RR.