Artilano Gomez, truck driver of Manjuyod town government, died after he was shot in the head by four suspected rebels in Barangay Candabong, Manjuyod town at past a.m. of October 19. | Photo courtesy of Manjuyod PNP
DUMAGUETE, Negros Oriental — A government worker was shot to death by four unidentified armed men believed to be members of the New People’s Army (NPA) while having breakast at an eatery in Barangay Candabong, Manjuyod, Negros Oriental, 8:30 a.m., October 19, 2019.
Police Captain Antonio Jabar, Manjuyod Police chief, identified the fatality as Artilano P. Gomez, of legal age, married, truck driver of the local government unit of Manjuyod and a resident of Barangay Tupas of the municipality.
Of the four suspected rebels three were armed with M16 Armalite rifles and a caliber .45 pistol.
Jabar said the rebels were wearing fatigue uniforms and rain boots.
According to Jabar based on the initial investigation of the shooting incident, the victim was eating breakfast at an eatery owned by a certain Isoy Academia.
Jabar, in an interview, said that the four suspected insurgents were looking for the driver of the truck parked outside the eatery.
The victim went out and without apparent reason one of the suspects fired upon Gomez twice hitting the victim at the forehead, Jabar said.
The victim died on the spot.
Jabar said that after the shooting one of the four suspects shouted “Mabuhay ang NPA.”
While retreating the four suspects were joined by 10 armed men waiting about 30 meters from the crime scene and believed to be the backup of the suspects.
The 10 men were armed with long firearms, said Jabar.
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Ask what was the possible motive in the killing of the driver, Jabar said “usa sa atong makita nga motibo … gaduda sila nga gihimong asset sa gobierno ang biktima kay mao man ang iyang trabaho pagsige ug pagsaka sa bukid.”
(One of the motives that we saw … they suspected that the victim was a government asset because his work is to go up the mountains.)
Jabar said that the victim was the driver of the truck of the LGU used to transport the produce of the farmers in the mountain barangays during market day. /dbs