Residents were left in shock after a local purok chairman was shot five times and killed at his home on Tuesday, October 14, as police continue to investigate the motive.
The victim, Marcel Pantajo, 37, chaired Purok 5 in Sitio Mana-uban, Barangay Lina-on in Cauayan town, Negros Occidental.
Police said five unidentified gunmen arrived at his residence, confronted her briefly, and opened fire multiple times before fleeing.
Authorities recovered an empty 5.56mm cartridge case, an empty 7.62mm cartridge case, two dud 7.62mm bullets, and a deformed 7.62mm slug at the scene.
Some sources allege the New People’s Army (NPA) may be involved, but police are still investigating and have not disclosed any details regarding the motive or suspects.
The rebel group has also not issued any statement.*
Reymund Titong is a Filipino journalist steadily building his voice in the field of news reporting, driven by a commitment to tell meaningful and relevant stories.
He serves as a correspondent for Rappler, contributes to Negros Daily Bulletin, and maintains a blog on Medium.