Trike driver shot to death in broad daylight; village secretary hit with stray bullet

By Jennifer P. Rendon

A tricycle driver instantly died in a broad daylight shooting incident in Arevalo, Iloilo City.

Arnold Elipio, 40, was repeatedly shot while he was plying his tricycle along Barangay Bonifacio, which is just around 100 meters from his house.

The incident also injured Elipio’s passenger, 37-year-old Gereldine Diocson, the village secretary of Bonifacio.

Diocson and Elipio were on their way to the barangay hall around 8 a.m. Monday when a motorcycle-riding man repeatedly shot the former.

A witness claimed to have heard successive gunfire and saw Elipio running away from the motorcycle-riding suspect.

The victim eventually fell to the ground. The gunman then fired “finishing shots” hitting the victim’s head.

The suspect then sped off towards the area of the Arevalo public market.

Diocson was also hit with stray bullets. She immediately ran towards the barangay hall while pressing on her wounds.

Captain Mavin Laraño, Iloilo City Police Station 6 chief, said Diocson was hit on her arm and below her left armpit.

Barangay Captain Allan Macazar, who was inside the barangay hall, immediately helped in bringing the wounded woman to the hospital.

Macazar also told investigators that he heard around five successive gunshots.

“There was a short gap and another three volleys,” he said.

Macazar’s parked vehicle was also hit by stray bullets.

Meanwhile, witnesses could not give a clear physical description of the gunman since he was wearing a full-face helmet.

Police recovered seven fired cartridge cases and ammunition of caliber .40 pistol and fire cartridges and a deformed slug of another caliber of pistol.

Laraño said they still have no person of interest behind the incident.

“He has no known enemy,” she said.

The victim also has no infraction recorded in their village or with the police.

But Macazar said Elipio surrendered through Oplan Tokhang and was also able to finish the community-based drug rehabilitation program (CBDRP).

Macazar also attested that the suspect was a good man.

“He worked for me for several years. He only stopped recently,” he said.

Aside from driving a tricycle, the suspect also has a batchoy or noodle stand beside their house.

His live-in partner gave birth around five months ago prompting him to stop working for Macazar.

As this developed, police investigators are still looking for more CCTV footage that might help in identifying the assailant.