Police zeroed in on vendetta as the possible angle behind the ambush of two persons resulting in their instantaneous death in sitio Boho, barangay San Jose, Inabanga town noontime Friday. In an interview last night with Police Supt. Constantino Paul Barot, Jr., provincial police director, he dismissed earlier theories that robbery and possible terrorist attack were behind the incident that shattered the peace of barangay Pasanan, Friday noon. Five men wearing bonnet and armed with long firearms waylaid an Isuzu Elf cargo truck where the victims were on board while it was on its way to Danao town from the Sagbayan public market. Killed in the first volley of gunfire were the father and son identified as Reynaldo Duavis y Torregosa, 50, married and Ryan Duavis y Rinon, 24, married all residents of barangay Cabatoan, Danao town. The father and son were in the livestock business. Both were seated of the truck’s front seat. Loaded with other passengers who escaped unhurt during the attack, another identified as Rogelio Nogalada y Barbarona, 42, married and resident of barangay Kagawasan, Trinidad town, was injured when he was hit in the leg. He was rushed immediately to the Sagbayan Emergency Hospital.

In a follow-up report secured by the Post last night, it was gathered that a recent ambush in Buenavista town where one of those injured was a potential candidate for barangay councilor was linked to the Friday killing. This was where the revenge angle was considered after investigation showed that the Buenavista ambush was tied up to the murder of the father and son. The same follow up report showed that after the Buenavista incident, someone blurted “bantay lang mo sa resback” (beware of the revenge) which led police investigators to link the two incidents. In the Buenavista case, three persons in a motorcycle were fired at but all three escaped the attack. According to the police report, the victims aboard the cargo truck was in Sagbayan to ply their livestock business when upon reaching the Inabanga barangay, the masked men were waiting in ambush and fired at the passing vehicle. The other passengers of the vehicle were not harmed and were identified as Vesitacion Cepedosa y Duaves, 59 years old, a resident of barangay Santa Fe, Danao; Elmevera Nabaja y Gumamag, 52 years old, married; Benancio Nabaja y Jemines, 57 years old, married; Crisanto Nabaja y Jemines, 28 years old, single; Bonifacio Lapure y Quiño, 46 years old, married, and a resident of barangay Nahud, Danao; Regino Gumapac y Torreon, 51 years old, married also of Danao, Bohol.

It was PSI Norman Nuez, Danao police chief who reported the shooting incident along the national highway of sitio Boho, barangay San Jose (Pasanan), Inabanga, Bohol. Acting upon the report, elements of the Inabanga police station led by SPO1 Edwin T Melicor together with P03 Lydio E Suarez, Jr., P03 Ricky O Remata, P03 Edilberto O Centinales, P02 Paciano E Petalcorin, Jr. and PO1 Brynell Niones (driver) under the direct supervision of Police Senior Inspector Vincent Paul Dumaguing, chief of police, responded immediately and proceeded to the place of incident in order to verify the veracity of the report. When the Inabanga police team arrived at the crime scene, elements of the Sagbayan PNP already cordoned the area. Recovered in the crime scene were 11 empty shells; one live ammunition; and one misfired ammunition, all for a caliber 5.56 mm, believed to be coming from the firearms used by the suspects. The SOCO Team also recovered during the conduct of inventory, the following: one unit Colt .45 cal pistol colored black with serial no. 792815; two magazines with 15 live ammunitions; one 1 unit Nokia cellular phone; and, cash money amounting to P53,110.00, all place inside the black sling bag of Reynaldo Duavis. The money was properly turned over, with receipt, to the victim’s family, while the Isuzu Elf cargo truck was temporarily deposited for safe keeping at Sagbayan Police Station waiting for the bullet trajectory test to be conducted by the SOCO. All the other evidences were placed under the custody of the SOCO Team for evidentiary purposes.