Village peacekeeper killed in Binalbagan shooting

By Glazyl M. Jopson

BACOLOD CITY — A 58-year-old village peacekeeper was shot dead in a sugarcane field where he was working in Sitio Mag-anay Uno, Barangay Bi-ao, Binalbagan, Negros Occidental, on Monday.

Police Capt. Joelan Vinson, chief of the Binalbagan Municipal Police Station, identified the victim as Marlo, a pastor, hacienda overseer, and appointed barangay Lupon member.

Vinson said the victim was supervising workers who were uprooting grass in a sugarcane plantation when two unidentified persons approached and shot him several times.

The victim sustained five gunshot wounds and was declared dead at a hospital.

Recovered from the scene were three fired bullets and four spent cartridge cases from a .45 caliber firearm.

Vinson said police are still probing the motive and have no leads yet on the perpetrators.

He added that witnesses saw the suspects’ faces but could not properly identify them.

Vinson said the victim’s family could not think of anything that would have triggered the gun attack.

Police are continuing their investigation into the shooting.