Two killed, government worker hurt in shootings

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD City – Two persons were killed while a government employee was wounded in separate shooting incidents here and in Negros Occidental on Thursday and Friday.

In Bacolod, an alleged thief was gunned down by an unidentified lone gunman on a motorcycle at Purok Kingfisher A, Barangay 16 yesterday.

The victim was identified as Mark Christian John Luceño, 31, of Barangay 35 here.

Police Major Ramel Sarona, head of Police Station 1, said that Luceño was sitting on a parked pedicab when the gunman arrived and shot him in the head at close range.

Sarona said the victim was tagged in theft incidents in Barangays 16, 35, and other adjacent villages. He was previously jailed and later released after serving his sentence for his offenses.

“Dira siya pirmi ga tambay sa lugar,” Sarona said. He said they have also recently monitored that the victim was allegedly engaging in illegal drugs.

Sarona said they are eyeing the victim’s alleged involvement in illegal activity and his past offenses as a possible motive in the incident.

Last Thursday, an overseer of a rice field was also shot dead by an unidentified person in Barangay Asia, Hinoba-an town while he was preparing dinner at home with his family.

Police Captain Ramel Bustamante, Hinoba-an town police chief, said that 57-year-old Reynaldo Moreño suffered gunshot wounds in his chest, left armpit, right knee, and stomach.

Police recovered from the scene three fired cartridge cases of .45 caliber ammunition.

Bustamante said the victim had no record in the barangay and police. Police are probing if the incident may be related to his work or something personal.

In Kabankalan City, Vicente Genova, 54, a city engineer of Himamaylan City government was wounded after he was shot by two unidentified persons on a motorcycle at his house in Barangay 9, Kabankalan City on the same day.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Alvimar Flores, Kabankalan City police chief, said the victim was cleaning his car at their garage when the suspects arrived and asked him if he was Engr. Genova.

The victim answered once and threw a cloth at them when he noticed that one of them was about to pull a firearm. He managed to run inside their house but the suspect shot his left leg, Flores said.

Police recovered from the scene a .45-caliber ammunition, and two fired cartridges of .9mm-caliber ammunition.

Flores said they have yet to establish the motive for the incident.