3 men shot dead in Kidapawan City; feud over drugs eyed

KIDAPAWAN CITY — Unidentified armed men, who were suspected of involvement in the illegal drug trade, killed three men, who were believed to be their former cohorts here on Tuesday evening, the police here said.

Supt. Leo Ajero, the city police director, identified the victims as Reuben Bagasing, 21; Juanito Barbero, 25; and Francisco Sakayan, 36.  They were all temporary residents of Madrid Subdivision in Barangay Poblacion here.

Ajero said the victims were watching TV inside the house of Cita Compidio when two men, riding in tandem on a motorbike, arrived past 10 p.m.

The gunmen, he said, barged into the house and opened fire on the victims using .45-pistols.

Bagasing and Gamboa died there and then while Sakayan, who was severely wounded initially tried to evade the attackers. Ajero said the killers chased and finished him off.

Ajero said the killings could be drug-related and that the killers and the victims might have previously worked together in the illegal drug trade.

The city police, he said, were coordinating with other law enforcement agencies in nearby areas to identify and arrest the gunmen.  SFM