A man was found dead while 10 others were briefly detained for “suspicious behavior” in two towns of Bantayan island, northern Cebu ahead of today’s elections, the Police Regional Office said.
Senior Supt. Rey Lyndon Lawas, PRO-7 deputy regional director for operations, said a certain Gilbert Garcia Delima, 37, was found dead in front of Sta. Fe Mayor Jose Esgana’s house in Barangay Talisay, Sta. Fe town at 11:33 p.m. last Saturday.
The victim had seven gunshot wounds in various parts of his body.
PO3 Ben Almonicar of the Sta. Fe police said responding lawmen found his body slumped right next to Esgana’s gate.
Police said the trail of blood suggested that Delima’s body was dragged from the other side of the road where his motorcycle had fallen.
The victim, a resident of Barangay Suba also in Sta. Fe town, was identified through his National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) identification card.
Insp. Romeo Caacoy, Sta. Fe police chief, said they were verifying whether the killing was election related.
He said the victim’s wife Cruzella May told them that she didn’t know who was with the victim at the time of his death.
A .38-cal. revolver was recovered from the victim’s hand. Five empty shells and two deformed slugs were also found in the crime scene.
Caacoy said he asked Esgana if he knew the fatality but the mayor said he did not know him.
Mayor Esgana told policemen that he was inside the house at 11:30 p.m. when he heard several gunshots.
“We dropped to the floor. Ten minutes after, we looked out the window and saw the body,” Esgana said.
When he went outside to check, he saw the victim lying inside the gate of his house.
Esgana’s home is about 200 meters away from the public market and about 300 meters away from the police station which is located in the old municipal building.
Delima’s remains were brought to St. Francis Funeral Homes in Santa Fe town.
In Madridejos town, 10 men were placed in police custody after tanods claimed to have seen them wearing bonnets or ski masks in Barangay San Agustin.
PO2 Jomari Bendecio, desk officer of the Madridejos police, said the men, who were supposedly supporters of mayoralty candidate Romeo Villaceran were later released after police found no cause to detain them.