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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider Visayas devider Village chair tagged in Silay City Election Day shooting positive in paraffin test

Village chair tagged in Silay City Election Day shooting positive in paraffin test

Published Jun 19, 2025 06:42 pm
TADEO (Glazyl Masculino)
TADEO (Glazyl Masculino)
BACOLOD CITY – The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-Negros Island Region announced on Wednesday, June 18, that a barangay captain tagged as primary suspect in the fatal Election Day shooting in Silay City, Negros Occidental tested positive in a paraffin test.
The result of the paraffin test on Barangay Lantad, Silay City Captain Arnie Benedicto was announced by authorities a month after the incident that claimed two lives and injured seven others in Barangay Mambulac.
CIDG-NIR Director Police Col. Arwin Tadeo said that a case for two counts of murder and seven counts of frustrated murder have been filed against Benedicto and three others before the Silay City Prosecutor’s Office.
Tadeo said that Benedicto remains under their custody pending the commitment order from the court for his transfer to another custodial facility.
“We are waiting for the commitment order issued by the court. For now, the investigation of the prosecutor’s office is ongoing,” he said.
Benedicto, who was allegedly seen by witnesses driving a vehicle and firing a shot before fleeing with his three companions from the crime scene, surrendered to authorities hours later. He has yet to release a statement regarding the allegations.
The CIDG has yet to name Benedicto’s three companions.
Tadeo also said that they considered the incident election-related, but noted that a different committee has the authority to confirm the elevation of the case, following the creation of a Special Investigation Task Group (SITG).
Police Capt. Judesses Catalogo, Negros Occidental police spokesperson, said that a .45 caliber cartridge casing was recovered from a house believed to have been used by the suspects during a search by authorities on May 22.
Police initially tried to search the property on the day of the incident but they failed to secure an approval from the court.
He said they are awaiting the result of the ballistic test to determine if it is similar to those recovered at the crime scene.
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) linked the violence to efforts of citizens to prevent vote-buying, acknowledging the gravity of the incident.
Comelec-NIR Director Lionel Marco Castillano said that since police have classified the case as election-related, Silay City’s status in the December Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) will be affected.
Castillano said that Silay City has been classified under green category, but with the incident, it will be elevated to yellow category.
A yellow category has a history of election-related incidents while green category areas have no election-related security concerns.

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Silay City Barangay Captain Arnie Benedicto
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