Romeo Arbole Alipan, 64, the barangay captain of Buenavista, Guihulngan was shot dead early Thursday. Two others were also shot dead in their homes in Guihulngan -- Arthur Cordevilla Bayawa, school principal of Guihulngan Science High and his younger sister, Ardale Cordevilla Bayawa, CID chief of DepEd Division of Guihulngan. The unidentified suspects forced their way inside the homes of the victims and gunned them down for still unknown motives. (Photo courtesy of Guihulngan Police Station)
DUMAGUETE CITY -- A barangay captain and two employees of the Department of Education (DepEd) in Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental were shot dead hours apart from each other early Thursday for still unknown motives.
A report from the Negros Oriental Provincial Police Office (NOPPO) identified the victims as Romeo Arbole Alipan, 64, married, the barangay captain of Buenavista, Guihulngan and a resident of Larena, Barangay Poblacion of the same city, and Arthur Cordevilla Bayawa, 55, single, school principal of Guihulngan Science High School and his younger sister, Ardale Cordevilla Bayawa, 49, single, CID chief of DepEd Division of Guihulngan and both residents of Barangay Hibaiyo of that northern city.
Initial sketchy police reports said that at around 12:55 a.m., unidentified armed men forced their way inside the house of the Bayawa siblings by destroying the padlock of the main door and shot the two DepEd employees.
The suspects immediately fled in an unknown getaway vehicle.
The victims were taken to the Guihulngan District Hospital by responding policemen but were declared dead on arrival by the attending physician, Dr. Nenette Caranoo.
Less than an hour later, an undetermined number of armed men also forced their way inside the house of Barangay Captain Romeo Alipan at Larena, Poblacion Guihulngan at around 1:40 a.m.
The suspects shot him multiple times, which caused his death. He was declared dead on arrival at the Guihulngan District Hospital.
Two days ago, lawyer Anthony Trinidad, 53, married, and a resident of San Carlos City, Negros Occidental, was shot dead while driving his car along the national highway in Guihulngan.
His wife, Novie Marie, who was with him at the time, was injured and is now recuperating at a hospital here.
Police investigators are still investigating the motives for the killings and the identities of the perpetrators. (PNA)
