KILLING SPREES IN NEGROS OCC: Another alleged drug group member gunned down

By: Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD City – An alleged member of the Ramos drug group was killed by unidentified armed men at Barangay Anahaw, Hinigaran, Negros Occidental Thursday, the third victim of summary executions in Bacolod and Negros Occidental in a week.

Slain was Jomarie Tejada, 35, of Barangay Gargato.

Police Major James Latayon, town police chief, said the victim was supposed to meet someone for a transaction when he was repeatedly shot by assailants on board a maroon Toyota Innova without a license plate.

Tejada was declared dead at a hospital due to multiple gunshot wounds.

Latayon said they cannot confirm if the person that the victim was supposed to meet was among the gunmen.

Latayon clarified that there was no abduction, contrary to earlier reports that the victim was allegedly forced to ride the vehicle before he was killed.

“We found out na binantayan na talaga siya,” he said.

Police recovered from the scene 13 cartridges of .9mm ammunition, three casings of .45 caliber ammunition, and a cartridge of 7.62×39 mm ammunition.

Meanwhile, an unidentified man who was brutally killed in the province last week was already identified by authorities as Christian Diputado, 24, a native of Estancia, Iloilo province, and was temporarily staying in San Carlos City here for two years.

Police Major Robert Dejucos, chief of Murcia Municipal Police Station, said Diputado’s mother identified his remains Thursday, barely a week after he was found dead in a sugarcane plantation at Barangay Pandanon Silos, Murcia town last December 14.

Diputado’s both hands and legs were hogtied with packing tape and his face was covered with plastic and duct tape when found by a tricycle driver. He also sustained a gunshot wound on the head.

Dejucos said they have no lead yet on the identities of the perpetrators behind the killing, but they are eyeing illegal drugs as possible motive because they later found out that the victim had previous drugs and robbery cases in San Carlos City.

“He (victim) was recently released last October 10 for his drugs case after he was arrested in San Carlos City last January,” the town police chief added.

Police suspect that Diputado had connections with the late Western Visayas drug lord Melvin Odicta as the latter’s name was tattooed on his body.

Dejucos said the victim was last seen by his partner on December 13 when he left their house early that day to report to the police about threats from unidentified armed men.

A week ago, Robert “Kaishek” Tan, 70, of Barangay Villamonte here was also gunned down in broad daylight at Barangay Estefania while on his way home.

Robert is the brother of former Bacolod City Councilor Ricardo “Cano” Tan, who survived an ambush against him and his wife at Barangay Alangilan here in December 2018.

Ricardo reportedly left the country with his family, following the attempt on his life last year. He was also publicly accused by President Rodrigo Duterte to be involved in the illegal drug trade along with five other police officers.