Brgy chairman shot dead

TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines — Despite the augmented presence of law enforcers in Samar’s first congressional district, the killings of barangay officials and political leaders have continued.

The latest incident was at 1 p.m. yesterday when Barangay Chairman Romulo Barcuma of Mabuhay in San Jorge town of Samar was gunned down at the national highway in the village in the presence of many people.

The two assailants were riding on a Montero car, but the police in the meantime withheld their identities while investigation was going on.

The 56-year-old Barcuma was a second-term barangay chairman who political affiliation was also kept under wraps by the authorities.

Senior Superintendent Rommel Cabagnot, Samar Police Provincial Office director, expressed concern over the continuing rise of extra-judicial killings, particularly in the 1st district of the province, since the election period  started last month.

Cabagnot said that, as soon as the the investigation results and the affidavits of witnesses will be completed, criminal charges will be filed against the perpetrators.

Initial investigation revealed that Barcuma was ridiring his motorcycle when the gunman on a Montero vehicle, driven by an already identified man, fired at the village chief at close range. Barcuma, who fell with his motorcycle, was hit on the right chest and forehead. He died on the spot.

Responding policemen recovered from the scene at least five empty shells of an M-16 armalite rifle and .45-caliber revolver, allegedly used by the attackers.

Cabagnot called on the support of the Regional Peace and Order Council in Samar and the community to help in solving the increasing number of killings in the province, which may worsen the peace and order situation in the province in the run up to the May elections.

“If we will not help each other, it’s possible we will have a bloody election this year,” he told The Freeman. “We are trying our best to stop these killings.”

Only last week, Interior and Local Government Secretary Mel Senen Sarmiento deployed 80 members of the elite Special Action Force with the support of the Criminal Investigation Group and the 43rd Infantry Batallion to  stop the killings in the first district of Samar for a peaceful 2016 elections.

The SPPO has been implementing the Lambat Sibat program aimed at apprehending persons with arrest warrants and those illegally carrying firearms. “We have continuing investigations, intelligence buildup and surveillance just to pre-empt criminals on top of additional deployment of police troops to the areas of concern,” Sarmiento said.

The other day, the joint operatives of the police and the military arrested the alleged leader of the Casaljay private armed group in the 1st district, during the serving of the search warrant issued by Judge Alphinor Serrano. The authorities recovered firearms and ammo from the house of Carino Casaljay during the raid.

Comelec-Region 8 Director Nick Mendros meanwhile said he was already alarmed over the killings of persons with political connections in Samar province. He however declined to describe these incidents as politically motivated.  (FREEMAN)