BACOLOD CITY, Philippines —A former mayor, his cousin as well as a councilor and a village chief were killed in two separate shooting incidents in Negros Oriental on Saturday morning, July 27.
The killings bring to 11 the number of those killed in the province in six days.
Police identified the victims as Edsel Enardecido, 60, a former mayor of Ayungon town, and his cousin, Leo, 45; Canlaon City Councilor Bobby Jalandoni and Ernesto Posadas, Panubigan village chief in Canlaon.
Police said unidentified armed men barged into the homes of Posadas and Jalandoni at 12:14 a.m. in Canlaon and shot the victims.
They were brought to the hospital but were declared dead on arrival.
About two hours later, a group of armed men barged into the home of the Enardecidos in Barangay Tampocon 1, Ayungon, Negros Oriental about 2:30 a.m. and shot dead Leo and the former mayor.
Police said the shooting incident was reported by Efren Dejan, a watchman of Ayungon who went to the police station to request for assistance.
When police officers arrived in the house of the Enardecidos, both Leo and Edsel were already dead from their gunshot wounds.
Police Col. Raul Tacaca, Negros Oriental police director, said the possible involvement of the communist New People’s Army (NPA) is being eyed as the houses of the victims were painted with the slogan “Mabuhay ang NPA before the gunmen fled. /muf