THE former village chief of Santa Rita, Asturias town in southwest Cebu was gunned down by two motorcycle-riding men while he was driving home on Wednesday afternoon, April 20, 2022.
The murder happened along the national road in Barangay New Bago in the same town.
Camelo Dacoldacol, 50, died after sustaining gunshot wounds in his body.
Asturias police investigator Roland Duran told SunStar Cebu that based on witnesses’ accounts, Dacoldacol was driving his multicab towards home after a day’s work at his store that sells dressed chicken in Barangay Tubigagmanok when the two culprits started following him around 1 p.m.
Duran said according to witnesses, one of the two suspects, the back-rider, opened fire at Dacoldacol upon arriving in New Bago.
Despite sustaining several wounds, Dacoldacol was still able to drive his vehicle.
But the suspects didn’t relent and continued shooting at Dacoldacol until his vehicle crashed into a traffic sign and fell on its side.
After the shooting, the culprits fled towards north of the town.
Police were able to recover a bullet, a spent shell and an empty magazine from a .45 caliber pistol at the crime scene.
Duran said he has yet to determine the motive behind Dacoldacol’s murder.
But Duran added that while Dacoldacol was still village chief, he was arrested by the Provincial Intelligence Unit in 2017 for illegal gun possession.
Duran further said there were allegations that Dacoldacol had been involved in several criminal activities when he was still an active barangay official.
Dacoldacol didn’t pursue another term as village chief following his arrest. (GPL / JKV)