Village head shot dead by riding-in-tandem gunmen

By Jennifer P. Rendon

Motorcycle-riding suspects gunned down a village official late evening of June 12, 2022 in Carles, Iloilo.

Barangay Captain Jose Marcelo, 74, of Abong, Carles just came from a speaking engagement when the gun attack happened around 10:20 p.m. of Sunday.

A bullet pierced through the right side of the victim’s forehead. He was rushed to Jesus Colmenares District Hospital in Balasan town but was declared dead on arrival.

Major Nestor Bacuyag, Carles police chief, said Marcelo had just delivered a speech at the village community hall prior to the start of the “binayle” when he was shot.

Abong village celebrated its annual fiesta June 13 and had a community dance on the night Marcelo was killed.

The victim, who was a retired policeman, was on his way home when the shooting incident happened.

He hopped on a Honda Wave motorcycle driven by barangay tanod Pio Juanillo. As they drove by a dimly lit portion of the village, a motorcycle with its headlights off tailed them.

Juanillo said he then heard gunfire and noticed that Marcelo had loosened his grip on him.

The two motorcycle-riding men then sped off to an unknown direction.

Responding policemen recovered from the crime scene an empty shell of caliber .45 ammunition.

Bacuyag said there are no persons of interest in the case, as of this writing.

Police investigations are looking into all possible angles behind the killing.

“We are tracing back on what he had been doing, to include his post-election meetings, or if he had a conflict with any person prior to the shooting incident,” Bacuyag said.