THE family of Art Stephen Bas, the village councilor who was gunned down Friday morning, July 20, in Talisay City, Cebu, called on authorities to solve the crime and find justice for the death of the 23-year-old official.

"We call on the local and national government to please help our family find justice for his death. We ask the authorities to find all possible leads and bring the assailants to court that they may answer for the crime they have committed and they can be punished. We ask that his untimely death will not be among the many unsolved crimes because it so painful for me and my family and we cannot move on until someone will be made answer for this. Our family demands justice," the family said in a statement.

Bas, grandson of Talisay City Councilor Arturo Bas, was shot dead around 8 a.m. Friday while he was driving his car along the South Road Properties in Cebu.

READ: Village councilor gunned down in Cebu

Police said the assailants were onboard two motorcycles and peppered the victim's vehicle with bullets from both sides of the front seat.

The victim was on his way to school when the attack happened. He is a Mechanical Engineering graduating student at the Cebu Institute of Technology-University.

"Our family deeply mourns in disbelief over the loss of our beloved Art Stephen C. Bas. He was taken away from us in such a brutal and merciless manner. He has not disobeyed the law and neither did he make enemies in his young life. All he had were dreams and plans for himself, his family and for the barangay. We are pained that he was taken away from us by unknown assailants and for reasons we cannot as of yet comprehend," his family said.

The family also asked for the public not to pass judgment over what happened, stressing "Stephen Bas was a good son."

"He was a very loving son, grandson, brother, nephew and a friend. He is about to graduate soon," the family added.

"We also ask for everyone's understanding and respect for our privacy as we would like grieve privately in the comfort of our close family and friends," it added.

Bas is the son of former barangay Lagtang captain Mark Ferdinand “Dindin” Bas who was arrested last April 15, 2018 after yielding a gun, grenade and ammunition during a search inside his house. He was later released on bail.

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(With reports from JKV/SunStar Philippines)