Senior Superintendent Jose Chiquito Malayo, city police director, said Alraben Jallao was standing near his home at Marlboro Drive in Barangay (village) Lower Calarian here at past 8 p.m. Sunday when he was attacked by three gunmen, one of whom was armed with an M16 rifle.
Malayo said witnesses had told investigators that Jallao apparently knew his attackers as he was overheard arguing with them in Filipino.
He said the victim had supposedly asked the suspects why they were blaming him.
It was not clear, however, what the conversation was about, he said.
Malayo said that shortly after the argument, witnesses saw the gunmen dragging the victim then took turns firing at him.
When the three men fled, witnesses rushed to the victim but were horrified to find his headless body, which was also riddled with bullets, he said.
Jallao’s head was nowhere to be found.
“He was beheaded before the suspects fled from the crime scene. The suspects brought the head of the victim as they fled,” Malayo said.
He said investigators recovered 36 empty shells from guns of various calibers, 19 rounds of live ammunition for M16 rifle and a live bullet from .45 cal. pistol.
Before midnight Sunday, relatives of Jallao took the body to Malagutay village for burial.
“We need deeper investigation. We are doing some interventions to ascertain the identities of the [killers] and their motive including the location of the head of the victim,” Malayo said.
He said the police had an initial theory on the killing but clarified that a deeper investigation was still needed.