In the aftermath of shooting spree by armed men
CATBALOGAN CITY- Several families in a remote village of Gandara town, in Samar, have fled their homes after a group of armed men went into a shooting spree Saturday (April 13) afternoon.
The residents of Barangay San Antonio fled from their houses for fear of their lives after 20 armed men descended to their village at about 4 pm on that day and without any warning, trained their high-powered guns at various directions.
Village chairman Ramon Corocoto said that the fleeing families, composed of 40 persons, left the village to seek temporary shelter at the town center as they feared for their safety.
Corocoto said that the armed men, upon entering their village, shouted who were among them were ‘pula’ or red, alluding to the political color of the Nacionalista Party.
“When they entered the village, they kept on shouting that we are supporters of the red and they will kill us,” the village chairman said.
While the police authorities have yet to establish the motive of the armed men, Corocoto believed that the motive of the suspects were politics.
The shooting spree perpetrated by the suspects resulted to the ‘incidental’ killing of one of their own, identified as Zosimo Casaljay who was later identified to be a wanted person for murder.
Police authorities in Gandara identified the leader of the armed men as one Edmar Wahingon who fired upon at the houses of the villagers who stayed inside their houses during the entire incident.
More than 20 fired cartridges of different calibers and live ammunitions were recovered by the police authorities in the village.
The dead body of Casaljay, who bore a bullet wound at his head, was left behind by the armed group when they left the village.
His remains were brought at the Gandara District Hospital for post mortem examination.
Gandara is among areas in Samar considered to have a volatile peace and order situation during elections. (ROMMEL RUTOR)
