CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Four persons were killed and two others were wounded after a shooting and hacking incident allegedly triggered by a land dispute in Sitio Kiabacat, Barangay Songco, Lantapan, Bukidnon on Sunday, Nov. 27.

The Bukidnon Police Provincial Office (BPPO) identified the fatalities as Rocky Cruz, 33; Rachel Cruz, 19, and Winlove Sinto, 30, who sustained bullet wounds in their body, and Daniel Lugnasan, 54, who was hacked in the face with a bolo.

Police identified the wounded as Mael Lugnasan, 30, who had a bullet wound in the stomach, and a minor who sustained bullet wounds in the left and right hand and stomach.

Investigation revealed that the suspects, Julie Saway and his sons Dindo and Elfredie, all residents of Barangay Songco, and three other unidentified persons forcibly entered the house of the Mael – the son of the landowner Daniel – and shot him and his three companions.

After the shooting, the suspects proceeded to the house of Daniel nearby and hacked him to death.

Major Harvey Sanchez, Bukidnon police investigation officer, in a phone interview on Monday, Nov. 28, said the suspects claimed that they are the rightful owner of the 12-hectare land in Daniel’s possession.

“Ang katong atong mga biktima dili sila mubakid kay sila man ang naka-possession, dayon kato pong family sa mga suspek, sila pud ang mu-claim nga sila ang rightful owner sa yuta. So, wala gyud nagkasinabot ang both parties,” Sanchez said.

(The victims did not want to give up because they are the ones in possession, and the family of the suspects, they would also claim that they are the rightful owner of the land. So, both parties did not understand each other)

Sanchez added that both parties have been summoned many times by barangay officials to discuss and settle the land dispute to no avail.

The Bukidnon Police Provincial Office has directed the Lantapan Municipal Police Station to conduct a follow-up investigation to identify the other suspects and launch a hot pursuit operation to arrest them.