Personnel of the Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) process the crime scene in Luzuriaga Street in Barangay Bong-ao, Valencia town in Negros Oriental where Mario Sitoy Gamayon was shot dead by a motorcycle-riding gunman. | Florence Baesa
DUMAGUETE CITY,Negros Oriental, Philippines — A 53-year-old man, who was released from police detention before noon of December 12, 2019 after posting bail for estafa, was shot dead by a motorcycle-riding gunman at 1:50 p.m. of the same day in Valencia town in Negros Oriental.
Mario Sitoy Gamayon of Barangay Mambaling in Cebu City was brought to the Negros Oriental Provincial Hospital (NOPH), but the attending physician declared him dead on arrival, said Police Major Romeo Cubo, Valencia Municipal Police Office.
Cubo in an interview with CDN Digital at the crime scene said the victim was a backrider of a motorcycle driven by an unidentified person when two unidentified men driving separate motorcycles tailed the motorcycle the victim was riding on along Luzuriaga Street, Barangay Bong-ao.
One of the two motorcycle-riding men then shot Gamayon several times in the body and fled to an unknown direction after the victim’s motorcycle crashed.
Cubo added that the driver of the victim also could not be found.
Police Lieutenant Colonel Marco Donato Ponce de Leon, Scene of the Crime Operatives head, said they recovered 10 empty shells of a caliber .45 pistol and 2 slugs at the crime scene.
Ponce de Leon in an interview with CDN Digital said that they also found a court document showing that the victim just posted bail this morning.
Cubo confirmed that the victim was arrested last December 3, 2019 for estafa (budol-budol) and he was released before noontime today.
“Nasubay nato nga kadtong maong tawong gipusil mao tong among gi release kay naka bail. So, padayon ta karon mangita og additional nga ebidensya ug interviews,” Cubo said.
(We found out that the victim has just been released after posting bail. So, we continue to gather more evidence and interviews.)
“Una sa tanan naa to siyay gisakyan nga motor. So, unahon nato pagpangita kadtong driver sa motor. Basin may kalambigitan to siya o inosente. Ato siyang pangitaon,” he said.
(First, we need to locate the driver of the motorcycle the victim was riding on because he may be involved in the crime or he may be innocent.)
Cubo added the police will conduct a background check on the victim./dbs