4 dead, 2 hurt in shooting believed caused by dispute over land claims

Four people, including the leader of a homeowners’ association, were killed while two others were wounded in a shooting allegedly caused by a disagreement over the distribution of public lands in Quezon City on Monday.

Inspector Elmer Monsalve, head of the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) homicide investigation section, identified the slain victims as Liberato Paez, Rogelio Diomampo, Rogelio Agustin and Germinio Manansala, all residents of Kaibigan Street, Kalayaan B in Barangay (village) Batasan Hills, Quezon City.

Monsalve said the victims were having a drinking session when six men fired upon them in front of a neighbor’s house at around 9:30 p.m. Monday.

The owner of the house, Zaldy Ballesteros, survived although he sustained several gunshot wounds in various parts of his body, the police official added.

Also wounded and still under conservation at the hospital was Amando Garcia, also a resident of the area.

Chief Inspector Rodelio Marcelo, head of the QCPD Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit, said that the men were apparently after Paez, the homeowners’ association head.

“He was able to run [inside] the house and hide but one of the armed men chased him and shot him at close range,” Marcelo told the Inquirer.

Based on witnesses’ accounts, the shooters who were armed with .45-cal., 40-cal. and 9mm handguns immediately escaped on foot.

The four victims were rushed to Malvar General Hospital by neighbors where they were declared dead on arrival by attending doctors, Marcelo said.

According to Monsalve, they are following several leads on the motive for the shooting, including the dispute over the government’s distribution of public lots to legitimate homeowners in the slum area.

He explained that city officials had conducted a survey in the area as part of preparations to award lots to deserving residents.

Another angle being looked at involved payments made on land claims.

“We received information that some people made payments to the association but were not on the list of land beneficiary,” Marcelo said.