1 killed, 5 hurt in shooting

From the Visayan Daily Star (Apr 15): 1 killed, 5 hurt in shooting

A shooting spree in Brgy. Tan-awan, Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental, involving five unidentified suspects, claimed the life of a person linked to illegal activities, and caused injuries to five others, Saturday.

Police chief Supt. Salvador Dagoon said yesterday that the victim, identified as Leo Arante, who is reportedly linked to illegal activities, succumbed to 10 gunshot wounds.

Senior Supt. Milko Lirazan, acting provincial police director of Negros Occidental, said they have received reports that the suspects are members of the New People’s Army, and that the killing was ordered by the leadership of the rebel group.

Lirazan, however, said they are still validating if, indeed, the NPA was involved in the shooting incident.

Five other civilians, one of whom was allegedly used as a human shield by one of the gunmen, were hit by stray bullets, initial investigations of the Kabankalan police showed.

Injured were Bjormaine Palma, 9, and Ada Pitonga, 8, Jessie Ramos, 16, Shermelin Palma,39, and Ramonito Prado,59. All are now in stable condition, Dago-on said.

Personal grudges are being eyed as the motive for the killing of Arante.

Lirazan said Arante was linked to a series of robbery-hold-up incidents in the area.

Kabankalan policemen, who responded to the incident, recovered eight spent shells of a .45 caliber pistol.

Arante was initially shot at a coffee shop on Saturday in the barangay, that was celebrating its fiesta. The victim, who was chased by the armed suspects, was able to survive the first shot, run and seek refuge at the house of Prado.

While chasing Arante, the gunmen fired at him, hitting some civilians, Dago-on said.
The victim was later cornered at the house of Prado, he added.

One of the gunmen used a minor as a human shield, after shooting the victim, Dago-on also said.

Dago-on and the Kabankalan police probers went to Brgy. Tan-awan, which is about 15 kilometers away from the poblacion of Kabankalan yesterday to get the testimonies of the witnesses.

http://www.visayandailystar.com/2014/April/15/topstory2.htm