Killed while on eco-adventure in town

Two gun men believed to be hired killers aboard two motorcycles sidled up a Mitsubishi Montero Thursday afternoon along the provincial road in Danao town killing the two SUV occupants who turned out to be live-in partners, this according to police sources. The woman victim happened to be the widow of former Tiptip barangay captain Marcelo “Amar” Epe who was gunned down in another hit job while drinking soft drink in a store across the Tiptip barangay hall November last year. Killed on the spot was Bernandina Epe y Curato, 48, alias Wilma and widow of the late Tiptip barangay captain. Also killed with Epe was the SUV driver identified as Arnold Anuta y Sumalinog, 32, of barangay Hunan, Buenavista town. He was brought to the Danao Infirmary but pronounced dead minutes later. Another car passenger identified as Mae Escarlet Pepito was injured but is now out of danger. She was also rushed to the Danao medical facility. As the two motorcycles caught up with the “moving targets”, the back riders, armed with unknown caliber firearms, shot the two front seat occupants including the driver hitting them in the different parts of the body. As the hired guns overtook the vehicle, they pumped more bullets to the victims killing on the spot the lady passenger.

The SUV was actually part of a two-car convoy which was on tour to Danao’s famous Eco-Adventure Park. The other vehicle, a Mitsubishi Strada, was occupied by 12 passengers while the Montero was loaded with 10 passengers including the two victims. According to Ronnie Curato y Boyonas, married, a resident of barangay Tagum Norte, Trinidad town, and driver of the Mitsubishi Strada, the two cars were on their way to this city when waylaid by the hired guns. They visited the Chocolate Hills, Sagbayan Peak and finally at the Danao Adventure Park. According to eyewitnesses who are personnel of the eco-park, the gun men were waiting somewhere in the vicinity of the park when they noticed that the two vehicles and their passengers were preparing to leave the area. Wearing no face masks, the killers were described in cartographic sketches they provided the police investigators. Elsewhere in this story are the cartographic sketches of the gun men.

LOVE ANGLE

In an interview last night with Police Supt. Constantino Paul Barot, Jr., provincial police director, investigators are not discounting the love angle of the killing. He also confirmed that it was a “professional hit job”. The victims are said to be lovers although other angles are being considered like money matters. According to reports, Wilma, who was also tagged as behind the murder of her husband, was facing multiple counts of human trafficking. While she was on the run, her estranged husband was murdered by unknown assailants in what was then theorized as a result of a family feud. To this day, the case remains unsolved. But when confronted of the suspicion she was behind the killing of the late Amar, Wilma denied saying “ she had no reason to order the liquidation of her husband.

BERAMA PROPERTY

While Wilma was on the run, she sought a go-between to surrender who happened to be lawyer Alexander Lim. While in police custody, she and her lawyer succeeded in convincing the judge that she could post bail. Pegged at P200,000, she posted bail to gain temporary liberty. According to police sources, it was during the time that she was out on bail that she started to receive death threats. She was freed after posting bail last March. With her murder, the cases of human trafficking were deemed dismissed. She was booked for human trafficking for allegedly hiring minors as guest relation officers in her karaoke joint at the ground floor of the Berama building. It was learned that Wilma raised the bail money the family property known as the Berama building was sold to a prominent city businessman amounting to P12 million. It was part of the amount that was used to buy the Mitsubishi Montero, the vehicle where Wilma met her tragic end. It was gathered from police sources that it was possible that one of the passengers in the two cars ridden by the Danao tourists must have monitored the movements of the potential targets as they toured from one tourist attraction to another. According to witnesses, the supposed killers readied themselves as they saw the car passengers boarded to their respective vehicles on the way home to this city.

2 DIE IN SEA MISHAP

Meanwhile, another violent incident, this time a sea mishap, claimed the lives of two persons. The two were part of 17 others including two minors who survived after the pumpboat they were riding capsized near the Balicasag Marine Sanctuary in Balicasag Island, Panglao Island last Friday. The ill-fated Spirit of Norway Elay was on the way to the mainland with its passengers supposedly attending the island fiesta. In a report of the Philippine Coast Guard based in this city, the two fatalities were identified as Felisa Banga, 43, a resident of Calape town and Paula Lood, 68, of Dauis town. The survivors are Hazel Mijos, 22, of Panglao; Paulita Lofranco, 59; Hilaria Justal, 57; Anita Lodona, 45; Letlet Anota, 29; all of Inabanga town; Oliver Faller, 17; Gina Cua, 23; Zenaida Cua, 46; Devin Gumisad, 14; Itaniel Gumisad, 2; and Lilia Gumisad, 43, all of Calape; Jupiter Campos, 28, of Tagbilaran City; Mario Alforque, 49, of Cortes; Gloria Dominisac, 50, of Tagbilaran City; and Herculana Agunod, 58, of Cortes town. The crew members are identified as Marvin Guioguio, who allegedly acted as boat captain and Jerry Navarro, all of Panglao town.

The PCG said that the boat captain was operating his boat “without pertinent documents” and he and his crew are facing serious charges for other violations. Based on the initial investigation of the PCG, it was learned that the boat departed the island with excess passengers and did not pass through the Balicasag island for “pre-departure inspection.” The cause of the upturn of the boat was “overloading,” said the PCG in its report. The Panglao island based coast guard said that the unconscious victims were declared dead on arrival at Barangay Poblacion, Panglao by Dr. Juleta Cogo, municipal health officer. The PCG learned of the capsized motor banca when a certain Derik Paculaba, a resident of the island, informed PCG that the banca capsized in the nearby marine sanctuary. The island of Balicasag, said to be one of the best dive sites in the world, celebrated its annual fiesta the other day.