CALBAYOG CITY— Killing incidents in this city appears to be unabated with the latest incident resulting to the deaths of five people, two of them were minor. City Mayor Ronaldo Aquino, who chairs the Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOC), immediately condemned the incident as he admitted that one of those killed and apparently the main target of the suspects was his supporter.
Aquino called on the people, particularly those living in remote villages of the city, to help him address the killing incidents. “I would like to appeal to Calbayognons to please report to the authorities any suspected unlawful acts that is happening in your barangay,” he said. “As your local chief executive, all that I am doing with the PNP and military is for the peace and order of the city and this will not be possible without your support. Let us all be vigilant and be alert and help our city attain peace by supporting the city government and law enforcers,” the city mayor added. The killing incident on September 15 in Barangay Victoria, about 20 kms away from the city proper, came just a week after Aquino made a public pronouncement that Calbayog is a peaceful area.
Killed were Sonny Regulacion, 38, and his sister-in-law Adela, 48 and the latter’s children, Christine Joy, 5 and Angel Mae, 2, all with the surname Regulacion. Another relative, Cristina Regulacion, was also killed in this gruesome massacre. All fatalities sustained multiple gunshot wounds which resulted to their immediate deaths.
Sonny’s wife, Marlene, 40, a barangay councilor, and a nephew Wendy, 7, survived the grisly incident that shocked the city that has witnessed shooting incidents in the past. They were brought to the St. Camillus Hospital, for medical treatment. Based on initial police report, at around 10 a.m. on that day, about seven armed men, wearing bonnets and in fatigue uniforms, surrounded and opened fire at the house while Sonny, who was resting in a hammock, at that time. The house was owned by Regulacion’s brother, Teban. City police chief, Supt. Ernesto Salvador Tagle said that a hot pursuit operation and police operation was immediately initiated to run after the suspects who used high powered firearms.
Tagle added that they cannot determine yet the motive behind the incident since an investigation is still on-going. He, however, dismissed the angle of politics as a possible motive. According to Tagle, vengeance could probably be the reason behind although it is just his speculation. He cited a previous shooting incident on July 15 also in the same village, wherein one of the involved identified as Marlon Regulacion was the son of Sonny. (JENNIFER SUMAGANG-ALLEGADO)
