Man abducted, shot dead

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD City – Police are probing the brutal killing of a man who was abducted in Silay City, Negros Occidental late Friday night and was found dead in the adjacent town of E.B. Magalona the following day.

The victim was identified as Fritz Buenafe, 32, of Barangay Lantad, Silay City.

Police Captain Eric Doronila, E.B. Magalona town police chief, said Buenafe was reportedly abducted by four unidentified persons from their house around 11:30 p.m.

The perpetrators, whose faces were covered with bonnets, forcibly took him to a car, as witnessed by his father, Doronila said.

Two hours later, the body of Buenafe was discovered by a watchman who was conducting roving in Barangay San Jose, E.B. Magalona town around 1:20 a.m.

Doronila said Buenafe had no upper garment and his hands were hogtied with duct tape when found in a sugarcane field a few meters away from the highway. His eyes were also covered with duct tape, the police chief added.

The victim suffered three gunshot wounds in the head, one in the chest, and another one in his right forearm.

Doronila, however, said they could not say if the victim was killed there or somewhere else since no ammunition shells were recovered from the crime scene.

Buenafe was previously charged for theft in July 2016, Doronila said, adding that the victim was not part of the drugs watchlist of Silay City Police Station.

Doronila said they are not discounting the possibility that the incident might be drug-related.

Police are also looking into the possibility that Buenafe might have enemies because of his previous case.

“It could be na basi ginbalusan man siya,” Doronila said.

Doronila said this is the second incident with the same manner of killing under his stint in the town this year.

But he could not yet tell if Buenafe was a victim of summary execution. The case is still under investigation.