BACOLOD CITY, Negros Occidental, Philippines – Camp Montelibano condemned the killing of a village watchman here, an incident described by Police Colonel Leo Pamittan as “barbarism.”
Pamittan also ordered the Provincial Investigation and Detection Management Unit to help Cauayan town probers dig into the slay of Jimmy Calibjo, 53, who was watching television around 7:30 pm in his home at Purok 2, Brgy. Poblacion, when the still unknown killer entered his home then shot him twice with a 45 cal pistol, hitting him once on the side and another on his chest.
He died inside his home on the spot where he was shot.
The suspected Red assassin struck more than a week after a series of kills involving two village chiefs in Calatrava and Isabela towns.
Calibjo was killed eight days after village chief Benjamin Javoc, village chief of Lalong in Calatrava town was also shot by armed men identified by Javoc’s wife as rebels led by Arnel Tapang.
The witness in the Cauayan town who saw the killing of Calibjo told Police Major Anthony Grande that the shooter was about three meters away from the victim.
He said the killer fired three shots but only two hit the victim.
The witness added the killer even shouted in Hiligaynon “No one come down! We are NPAs!”
He also reportedly yelled the while fleeing, “We will come back for more!”
The shooter possibly escaped by running towards the river behind the victim’s house which was only 100 meters away, Grande said.
A banana tree farm and a sugar cane plantation are also nearby giving the unidentified shooter the advantage to flee because it was dark at the time of the shooting.
Grande also added that the shooter might be familiar with the surroundings because he knew which way to flee.
Police and soldiers are hunting the killer.
Grande cannot conclude yer if the shooter was an insurgent since the probe is still ongoing.
Two motives are being eyed for the crime: the local insurgency and a personal grudge.
Pamittan said in his statement “We do not tolerate these acts of barbarism against citizen and especially the members of peace makers and force multipliers who are partners of the Philippine National Police in maintaining peace and order of the community.”
