POLL VIOLENCE? Police investigators are looking into the murder of a barangay councilor in Bayawan City, Negros Oriental as possibly related to the upcoming barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections. A special investigation task group has been formed to hasten the solution of the crime. (Photo courtesy of the Negros Oriental Provincial Police Office)
DUMAGUETE CITY – The Negros Oriental Provincial Police Office (NOPPO) has created a special investigation task group (SITG) to probe the murder of a barangay official in Bayawan City whose death is believed linked to the coming barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections.
Provincial police director Col. Jonathan Pineda told the Philippine News Agency on Tuesday that the SITG, which he chairs, also includes other investigating units such as the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) in the province.
He said it was created on Oct. 23 as directed by the regional police office but was officially announced Tuesday.
“We have created the SITG to fast-track the investigation considering that the victim is a barangay official and we have tapped other units so that whatever evidence is gathered, we can collaborate for the immediate resolution of the crime,” Pineda said in mixed English and Filipino.
On Oct. 21, Diosdado Petiluna Gemina, 52, a barangay councilor of San Miguel, Bayawan City, was riding his motorcycle when he was shot in Sitio Cabcacon, Barangay Banga by unidentified suspects on a motorcycle.
Gemina was brought to the Bayawan District Hospital where he was declared dead on arrival.
Police recovered from the crime scene nine fired cartridges of caliber 9mm, a motorcycle, and a mobile phone.
Pineda said the Bayawan police chief told him they are looking at the crime as related to the barangay and SK elections because he had no known enemies although it is still not “conclusive”.
The police director said they are requesting the Anti-Cyber Crime Group to help retrieve and process the messages and other information from the mobile phone that was retrieved from the crime scene, including those that have been previously deleted. (PNA)
