CATARMAN, Northern Samar — Two persons were killed and another was wounded in three separate shooting incidents in three towns of this province on Saturday and Sunday, eve of election day.
The first casualty, a former councilor of Barangay Libho, Catarman town, was shot dead at around 9 am, May 12, at a spot just a few kilometers away from the provincial headquarters of the Philippine National Police. The victim was identified as Arturo ‘Boy’ Gallano.
The second victim, a supporter of a Liberal Party candidate for mayor was held up and shot dead by armed men in San Roque town on Saturday, May 11. The suspects fled with a bag full of cash that the victim was carrying.
In a third incident in Gamay town, the supporter of a re-electionist mayoralty aspirant was shot in the stomach by armed men wearing bonnets flagged down the jeepney he was driving and shot him at close range on Saturday. He has been rushed to the hospital.
Police Officer 1 Kennel Tafalla, officer-on-case in the first incident, said that at around 9 am, a black Nissan car with plate No. NR 999 arrived in Barangay Libho. One of its passengers alighted and inquired about the location of the barangay hall.
The car motored on when a man riding a motorcycle chased it and demanded that the car passengers get off. The car passengers reportedly opened fire. Some of the shots hit and killed Gallano on the spot, the police said.
Witnesses described one of the suspects to be about 33 years old, with curly hair and tattoos all over his body. Three empty shells of a 9-millimeter pistol and one empty shell of a .45-caliber pistol were recovered from the crime scene.
The police tagged the case as an election-related incident because the victim was a political leader of Catarman mayoralty candidate Francisco Rosales, a former mayor of Catarman.
In the second incident in San Roque town, a campaign leader of Liberal Party mayoralty candidate Jocelyn Uy-Curso was reportedly held up and shot dead by armed men at around 3 pm on Saturday.
The San Roque poiice said Uy-Curso’s campaign leader, a certain Nestor “Entong” Surio, was riding a habal-habal motorcyle with five other passengers enroute to Barangay Pagasangjan.
Upon reaching Sto. Mukidbukid in Barangay Bantayan, several armed men wearing bonnets reportedly stopped the motorcycle, grabbed a bag full of cash, and shot Surio in the head. Witnesses said the suspects fled to different directions.
Meanwhile in Gamay town, re-electionist Mayor Timoteo Capaquian of reported that one of his supporters was also shot in the stomach by still unidentified armed men Saturday evening, May 11. The victim was rushed to Catarman Doctors’ Hospital.
A relative of the victim who requested not to be identified said that at around 9 pm, the victim was driving his jeepney on his way to a nearby barangay to ferry some passengers when several armed flagged down the vehicle and shot him at close range.
The suspects reportedly fled toward the direction of Lapinig town.
Mayor Capoquian called the case a election-related incident saying that he had received information earlier that his political opponent was planning to sow trouble.