Land dispute leads to deadly shooting

By: Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD City – A woman died while her husband survived after two armed men allegedly shot them inside their house at Barangay Pandanon Silos, Murcia, Negros Occidental Tuesday night.

Killed was Marites Mondejar, 51.

Police Major Roberto Indiape Jr., town police chief, said Mondejar and her husband Manny, 49, were about to eat dinner when the two assailants arrived around 7 p.m. and asked them about the pawned farm lot which they (Mondejars) already possessed after its original owner failed to redeem the land.

Indiape said the suspects forcibly asked the couple to sell the lot, but when they refused, the suspects shot them.

Marites was hit on her back while Manny was unscathed after he was able to flee from the hail of bullets.

A gunman caught up with Manny but the husband successfully disarmed the suspect and later hogtied him.

Authorities later identified the gunman as Nicolie Tirambulo, 21, of Barangay 1, San Carlos City. His companion identified only as “Dodong” fled on board a motorcycle.

Mondejar was rushed to a private hospital here, but she was pronounced dead on arrival.

Police recovered from Tirambulo a Remington .45-caliber pistol with a magazine loaded with five live ammunitions, and a bag containing two cellular phones.

He sustained injuries after he resisted arrest, Indiape said.

Indiape said Tirambulo alleged that they were hired by the previous farm lot owner to force the couple to sell the property.

“He (Tirambulo) told the police that they were promised P100,000 if they would be able to do it,” Indiape said.

But, the town police chief said, “those were the suspect’s allegations, but we will also include in the investigation the previous lot owner to hear his side after he was tagged in the crime.”

In a media interview, Tirambulo denied the accusations against him, claiming he was just asked by his companion, whom he just recently met, to go to the Mondejar couple’s house.

Tirambulo and a certain “Dodong” will be charged for murder, frustrated murder, and illegal possession of firearms.