Red-tagged doctor, husband killed in Negros Oriental

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD City – A couple was gunned down by unidentified perpetrators at Barangay Poblacion, Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental last Tuesday.

Police identified the victims as Dr. Mary Rose Sancelan, city health officer of Guihulngan, and husband Edwin Sancelan, a government employee.

Initial investigation from the Negros Oriental Police Provincial Office (Norppo), showed that the couple were on their way home when the perpetrators shot them then fled.

The couple suffered gunshot wounds on the different parts of their body. They were pronounced dead on arrival in a hospital.

Police recovered from the scene 15 fired cartridges of caliber .45 ammunition.

In a Facebook post, Karapatan Negros Island, said that Dr. Sancelan topped the so-called “hitlist” of KAGUBAK, an anti-communist vigilante group in the province. 

Dr. Sancelan was also tagged as an alleged spokesperson of Leonardo Panaligan Command of the New People’s Army (NPA) in central Negros, according to Karapatan, which also condemned the killing of the couple.

Dr. Sancelan was the head of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) in Guihulngan City, the group said.

Police have yet to determine the motive behind the gun attack.

In a Facebook live press briefing yesterday, Dr. Liland Estacion, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) incident commander in the province, relayed the message of the Negros Oriental public information officer Bimbo Miraflor, saying that the incident will surely affect in many ways the operations of the local IATF in the said city.

In due time, they will cope with the loss and designate somebody who will take on the job, as stated by Miraflor’s statement read by Estacion.

Estacion said that Governor Roel Degamo already talked to the provincial policemen and ordered them to investigate the matter very seriously and bring the perpetrators to justice.