Village councilor trying to pacify quareling couple shot dead
Rey Emecino Colita lay dead after he was gunned down by a carpenter on Sunday night, May 28, 2023. (Photo from the Digos City Police Station)
DIGOS CITY, Davao del Sur, Philippines – A village councilor in this city who was trying to pacify a quarreling couple ended up dead after the husband, who was drunk, shot him with a pistol on Sunday night.
Lt. Col. Hamlet Lerios, Digos City police chief, identified the slain councilor as 47-year-old Rey Emecino Colita of Purok-6, Barangay San Roque, and the suspect as 35-year-old Jayradee Busadre Frande, a carpenter and resident of Relocation, Barangay Igpit.
Colita was in a disco celebrating the founding anniversary of the barangay when he was informed about the commotion involving a couple just a few meters away.
Colita, together with another village councilor, Ronelo Awe, went to the place where they tried to pacify the couple.
However, the drunken carpenter fired a pistol, hitting Colita in the back, causing his instantaneous death.
The heated argument stemmed from the refusal of Frande’s wife to go home with him as he was already reeking of alcohol.
Forensics personnel from the Davao del Sur Police Provincial Office found a spent shell from a .45-caliber pistol.
Digos police have launched a pursuit operation to arrest Frande who fled after shooting the village councilor.
