Lone gunman shoots dead 3 kin of radioman

BACOLOD CITY—Three relatives of a broadcaster were killed while another was wounded past noon on Friday after a lone gunman entered their home and fired at them in Sagay City, Negros Occidental.

The assailant was identified as Romeo Corbo, in his 40s, who is facing attempted murder charges for shooting broadcaster Ferdinand “Bambi” Yngson, 48, four years ago.

Yngson said the attack may be related to the alleged attempt made by Corbo on his life. But it may also have been aggravated by a dispute between Corbo and the victims.

Killed were Yngson’s aunt Elsa Gasper Javellana, 67; her husband  Ranulfo Javellana, 71, and their daughter Gina Javellana Zaragoza, 48.

The couple’s son, Joseph Javellana, 35, who was shot in the stomach, identified Corbo as the assailant, said Senior Insp. Gabriel Gutierrez, Sagay police chief.

He said the motive of the killing may be old personal grudges.

Police said the victims were having lunch at their house in Elija Subdivision, Sitio Albina, Barangay Poblacion 1, about 12:35 p.m. when Corbo, who was armed with a .45 cal. pistol, barged into their home and fired at them.

The gunman reportedly emptied one magazine and loaded it with another before escaping, said SPO3 Noel Olaera, Sagay police chief investigator.

Olaera said the police were hunting down Corbo who managed to escape.

Corbo, who is employed at the Sagay City government, is facing attempted murder charges for shooting Yngson in the left arm, back and cheek at the Sagay public market on July 25, 2007. The case remains pending.

Corbo, a former deputized agent of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) in Cadiz City, got angry at Yngson’s radio exposés on the suspect’s alleged extortion activities at the LTO.

Early this year, Corbo put up a videoke bar in Elija Subdivision at Sitio Albina, Barangay Poblacion 1.

But the Javellana couple, who owned the subdivision, asked Corbo to leave because the videoke bar was making a lot of noise and that they realized that Corbo was the same man who shot their nephew.

Gutierrez said the Javellana couple then lodged a complaint against Corbo at the Sagay City Hall for operating a videoke bar in their subdivision, which is a residential area.

As a result Corbo’s business permit was reportedly cancelled, he added.