Over the weekend, three shootings occurred in Negros island, with a habal-habal driver in Bulado, Guihulngan City, a 14-year old girl reported dead in a farm near Cadiz City, Negros Occidental and a 67-year old male in Bais City, Negros Oriental. As of reporting, no motive of the killings has yet been identified and authorities are still searching for the suspects of the aforementioned incidents.

Guihulngan City Shooting

On August 3, 2020, a 38-year old habal-habal driver was shot dead in Brgy. Bulado, Guihulngan City at around 2:00 pm. The driver was allegedly waiting for passengers when he was suddenly attacked by an unidentified gunman. He was shot several times, twice in the head. Although he was rushed to Guihulngan City District Hospital, the victim was declared dead upon arrival. Police are still investigating the incident.

This marks the fifth civilian casualty in a series of shootings over the past two weeks in Guihulngan City. The incident in Brgy. Magsaysay involving the death of two swine dealers was blamed on the New People’s Army rebel group. Meanwhile, a local rights group Hustisya Guihulngan has accused the 62nd Infantry Batalion of the Philippine Army for the death of one civilian after the aforementioned victim was harassed along with two other people, accused of being NPA elements.

Cadiz City Shooting

A 14-year old girl was found dead on the morning of August 1, 2020 in a sugarcane plantation at Hacienda Jose, Barangay Mabini, Cadiz City, with multiple stab wounds found on the deceased victim’s body. According to Cadiz Police Chief Lieutenant Colonel Roberto Mansueto, they currently have a person of interest but are still collecting more information and gathering more testimonies before filing a case against their suspect.

One week earlier, a resident at a nearby Hacienda Nabinay was shot by two riding-in-tandem individuals and are currently still being assailed by authorities.

Bais City Shooting

On the morning of August 2, 2020 at about 7:45 am, a concerned citizen alerted authorities via phone that a shooting had just occurred at the corner of Mabini Street and Laurel Street of Barangay 1, Bais City. The 67-year old victim, although given immediate first aid treatment, died at the Bais City District Hospital after succumbing to multiple gunshot wounds.

Initial investigations by the authority reveal that the victim had gone to a nearby vulcanizing shop to have his tired inflated while conversing with acquaintances at a nearby meat shop when two motorcycles, a black MIO Yamaha and a black XRM, shot the head of victim while standing along the road and on different parts of the body. Apparently not satisfied, the backrider of the XRM allegedly fired additional shots to the victim before fleeing north-bound along Laurel Street.

The duty investigator was able to recover thirteen (13) pieces of fired cartridges of .45 caliber pistols in the crime scene. The suspects remain at large, with the Negros Occidental Provincial Police Office stating an in-depth investigation has been launched.