Police face blank wall on kagawad’s death

By: Felipe V. Celino 

ROXAS CITY, Capiz – Police are still puzzled by the death of a kagawad (village council member) of Brgy. Punta Tabuc, Roxas City.

Investigators have yet to identify the three suspects who peppered Oneal “Dodoy” Arandez with bullets inside an auto repair shop Brgy. Cagay here on Jan 7, 2020.

Police Master Sergeant Ramil Arcangeles, Roxas City police investigator, said the hot pursuit operation against the suspects continues.

Arandez, who was once linked to the illegal drug trade, was declared dead on arrival at Roxas Memorial Provincial Hospital here due to multiple gunshot wounds.

Police are eyeing the illegal drug trade as a possible motive of the incident.

Police investigation indicated that Arandez went to the repair shop to have his motorcycle checked when four masked suspects alighted from a red Toyota Innova car and approached him.

Without any word, the suspects shot Arandez in the head, neck, and other parts of his body.

Autopsy conducted by the Crime Laboratory indicated that the victim suffered fatal gunshot wounds in the head, neck and other parts of the body.

Police recovered from the scene slugs and empty shells of caliber . 45 and .9mm ammunitions

Arandez was arrested in a drug buy-bust operation in December 2015 in front of Gaisano Mall on Arnaldo Boulevard here. But the charges against him were dropped for lack of evidence.

He was one of the high valued target drug personalities in Capiz.

Arandez was the number one kagawad of Punta Tabuc and chaired the committee on peace and order and police matters of the village council.