BUENAVISTA. – The family of a slain barangay captain of this town has fled for its safety, this according to PSInsp Ricardo Tero, town police chief. Tero, who presented the peace and order situation of this town during the “Talakayan Sa Isyung Pulis” (TSIP) held in Calape town last week, said that because of this situation it would be difficult on their part to dig deeper into the killing at the height of the last elections. He also dispelled allegations that the police here did not do anything about a number of killings prior to the election day on May 13, 2013. He said right now there is already progress on their investigations but he did not elaborate on this development. But he said he’s optimistic these crimes would soon be solved. It may be recalled that this town was the center of a number of killings that police said had something to do with politics. A certain Percival Sebua, 48, and married, who is running for town councilor of Buenavista town under incumbent Mayor Lowel Tirol’s slate in the last elections, was gunned down by three unidentified armed men, police report said. A certain Roel Torregosa, member of the Citizens Armed Forces Geographical Unit (CAFGU), was shot to death by unidentified armed men reportedly holed out at Alfonso Del Rosario’s farm house in barangay Cantuba, an adjacent barangay with Canggawa of this town, just days before the election day.

Torregosa, who, along with other CAFGU member, was trying to verify the reported presence of armed men was shot while driving his motorcycle with another CAFGU member passing in front of house of former mayor and a mayoralty bet Del Rosario, reports said.  Torregosa was the son of barangay chairman Berto Torregosa of Overland of this town, a supporter of Mayor Ronald Lowell Tirol. Tirol was re-elected mayor of the town. A day (May 3, 2013) before Torregosa’s killing, former police officer Gregorio Jumao-as, said to be a runner of incumbent Mayor Tirol, was shot dead on the spot by three unidentified gunmen in barangay Hinabonan of this town. The victim, identified as alias “Onyong,” married and former member of the municipal environmental body sustained multiple gunshot wounds on his body, the report said. The victim was driving on his motorcycle in barangay Poblacion on his way home and upon reaching the mangrove area he was shot to death without provocation, the report said. A candidate for town councilor Percival Sebua under Mayor’s Tirol’s slate was shot death last March while he was heading for his rice farm in barangay Bonotbonot of this town, police report said. The case remains unsolved as probers still investigating the motive and the identities of the perpetrators. (RVO)