BACOLOD CITY – Suspected insurgents gunned down a 54-year-old barangay chairman in front of his family in Calatrava, Negros Occidental Friday, Aug. 26.
The murder of Barangay Lalong Captain Benjamin Javoc was the second involving a barangay captain in just three days by heavily armed men in Negros Occidental.
Before dawn Wednesday, Aug. 24, Danilo Dautil, 62, barangay captain of Barangay Cabcab, Isabela, Negros Occidental, was shot dead while on his way home.
The municipality is about 100 kilometers south of Calatrava and is a two-hour drive.
Police considered Dautil and Javoc’s murders as insurgency-related.
Police Major Lumyaen Lidawan, Calatrava police chief, said at least 10 unidentified armed men arrived at Javoc’s house at around 4:30 a.m.
Lidawan said gunmen shot Javoc outside his house and this was witnessed by his wife and son.
The suspects proceeded to ransack the victim’s house and carted away his personal belongings and P20,000.
Lidawan said they are considering this killing as insurgency-related, since the barangay was reported to be infested with armed rebels.
Police could not yet elaborate, pending the investigation.