Former village councilor, son shot dead in Negros Occidental town

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines—A former village councilor and his son were shot dead and a farm worker was wounded Monday afternoon when a group of armed men, whom local authorities believed were bandits, assaulted them in EB Magalona town, Negros Occidental.

Eight assailants armed with an M16 assault rifle, shotgun and handguns and wearing bonnets repeatedly shot Federico Esqueran, 55, and his son, Nilo, 31, in front of their family members and relatives in Sitio Aligbon, Barangay Canlusong, EB Magalona at 4:30 p.m. Monday, initial police investigation showed.

The two had pleaded that their lives be spared, the police learned.

Esqueran suffered gunshot wounds in the head and chest while his son was shot in the head and shoulders.

The injured was identified as Edad Cuello, who worked at the farm of Esqueran. Cuello sustained a gunshot wound in the left leg after he was shot by one of the assailants while he was trying to flee. He is being treated at the Teresita Lopez Jalandoni Provincial Hospital in Silay City.

Senior Inspector Arnold Mesias, newly-installed EB Magalona police officer-in-charge, said the armed bandits also took four cellular phones and P500 in cash from the house of the victims.

Several empty shells of M16 Armalite rifle and a cartridge of shotgun were recovered at the crime scene.

The elder Esqueran, who did not seek reelection as barangay kagawad of Canlusong in EB Magalona, was an active member of the Bantay Bukid Brigade, which helped in the preservation of the remaining forest of EB Magalona, according to his son, Jojo.

In previous weeks, the armed men shot and killed Canlusong village councilor Rolando Lozada, who was also actively involved in anti-illegal logging activities in EB Magalona, and farmer Lauro Delgado Sr., according to police records.

Before his death, Lozada was in the company of Task Force Ilahas operatives, who were also ambushed in May by alleged armed poachers in Barangay Canlusong, EB Magalona.

Police records also showed that a group of unidentified armed men also abducted last month three residents of Barangay Canlusong in EB Magalona, whose fate remained unknown.

Mayor David Albert Lacson has refuted claims that EB Magalona has been tagged as a “killing field,” saying the killings and untoward incidents in the two months were isolated cases.

Lacson maintained that EB Magalona remained generally peaceful. “We assure the safety of visitors who will come into our town,” he said.

Police investigators are also facing a blank wall as the identities of two gunmen behind the killing of independent broadcaster Niel “Lito” Jimena which also took place in Barangay Tabigue, EB Magalona, two weeks ago.

Lacson has proposed the establishment of a detachment in Barangay Canlusong, EB Magalona, to constrict the movements of the bandit group and the New People’s Army members, who were reportedly seeking refuge in the area during military operations.

Originally posted at 4:29 p.m.