NEGROS Occidental Police Provincial Office (Nocppo) Director Romeo Baleros ordered on Thursday, March 21, the Sipalay City Police Station to thoroughly investigate and identify the perpetrators of the ambush in Sitio Dungga, Barangay Maricalum, Sipalay City, Negros Occidental Wednesday night, March 20.
The fatality was identified as a certain Rex while his companion Jomar Garcia, 30, of Barangay Magballo, Kabankalan City, was injured.
Initial investigation showed that at 8:20 p.m., Garcia was driving the Ford Ranger vehicle from Hinoba-an to Kabankalan City. Rex was in the passenger seat.
When they reached Sitio Dungga, unidentified armed men wearing bonnets fired at them several times.
The victims were brought to the Sipalay City Infirmary but Rex was later transferred to the Kabankalan District Hospital where he was declared dead.
Police recovered from the scene of the crime several empty shells from a .45 caliber firearm, live ammunition and some medical books inside the vehicle.
Baleros said he already directed Chief Inspector Anthony Grande, chief of the Sipalay City Police Station, to determine the identity of the suspects and their motive.
“They should check the background of the victim, take the sworn statement of the driver and preserve all obtained pieces of evidence at the crime scene and other items recovered inside the vehicle,” he said.
For his part, Grande said the Ford Ranger vehicle, which was owned by Rosmar Dolatre of Kabankalan, was only rented by Rex.
Dolatre also tasked Garcia to drive the vehicle.
Grande said they are still gathering more information to determine the true identity of Rex since they failed to recover any identification card from him.
“We believe that it was a well-planned ambush. We are asking the help of the community to solve this case,” he said. (MAP)