THE Negros Oriental Police Provincial Office (Norppo) is continuously investigating the series of killings in the province since last month.
Senior Superintendent Henry Biñas, acting director of Norppo, said they are reviewing each case every week to come up with a lead against the perpetrators.
He also ordered police chiefs to concentrate on probing focused crimes to solve the cases.
Last Sunday, June 11, an alleged robber was found dead at Sitio Ambakon, Barangay Cambucad, Valencia town.
The victim, who remains unidentified, had gunshot wounds. Both his hands were also tied.
Recovered were two empty fired cartridges of an unknown firearm.
Last May 31, Jade Anthony Lopez Sayson, 26, of San Miguel, Bacong town was also found dead at Purok Kamaisan, Barangay Bajumpandan, Dumaguete City. He was shot to death by unidentified men on board a private vehicle.
Before he was killed, the victim was reportedly mauled by a group of men at Sitio Canday-ong, Barangay Calindagan.
Six days later, an unidentified male teenager was found dead at Barangay Bulak, Dauin town. The victim sustained 13 gunshot wounds.
Last May 17, two alleged “salvage victims” were also found dead in separate incidents in the province.
The body of the first victim was found at a cliff in Sitio Cantulingi, Barangay Manlipac, Bais City while the other victim was found at the adjacent Manjuyod town.
Both of their bodies were placed in sacks.
One of the sacks had a note printed with the words, “Adik ako. Huwag Tularan.” (I am a drug user. Do not follow what I do.)
Biñas said they have difficulty identifying the perpetrators because there were no witnesses.
Still, he assured the people that there is nothing to worry because the police do not consider the incidents alarming.
He also said that a vigilante group or a similar crime group does not exist in the province, based on their monitoring.
“As of now, we are still continuously investigating if there were resemblance in the ways that the victims were killed,” Biñas said.
Some of them were probably killed due to grudge or revenge because of their previous crimes, he added.