Police have eyed land dispute as the most possible motive behind the gruesome murder of a Bohol town councilor, who was shot to death by riding-in-tandem assassins yesterday in Ubay, where recent killings have tainted the town's peaceful image. Ubay police chief Major Petronilo Gracia Jr. identified the victim as Ubay councilor Allan Nuñes Abad, 56, married, and a resident of Barangay Poblacion, Ubay. Abad, the first politician in Bohol killed since the local elections were held in 2013, was gunned down by still unidentified suspects while he was riding his motorcycle in Barangay Achila, Ubay, at around 4:45 p.m. Gracia told the Bohol Sunday Post that their station received a call from a concerned citizen yesterday at 5 p.m. informing them that a motorcycle driver was shot to death in Barangay Achila.

Responding policemen arrived in the crime scene and rushed Abad to the nearest hospital but he was declared dead on arrival by Dr. Richie Delmar. Police recovered at the crime scene seven empty shells, one slug of cal. 45 pistol and two cellular phones. According to a medical examination, Abad sustained 12 gunshot wounds in the body and another two gunshot wounds were found in his head. Initial investigation revealed that Abad driving his motorcycle from Achila going to Poblacion, Ubay, and upon reaching the junction of national highway, two unidentified suspects shot him to death.

The gunmen, believed to be gun-for-hire operating in the second district towns of Bohol, immediately fled using a red Honda Wave motorcycle. “I believe that they are still in the vicinity of Ubay,” Gracia said in a phone interview last night. “But we are still clueless of their identities.” Asked of the motive of the killing of councilor Abad, Gracia said: “There is a high probability that it is related with property dispute.” Abad did not elaborate, however, when pressed to comment on the land dispute angle, but he said that the mastermind of the killing could be Abad's foes in Ubay. “Kontra sa yuta,” Gracia said.

Bohol PNP director Senior Supt. Dennis Palo Agustin has ordered a massive manhunt on the suspects. Agustin in a phone interview with Sunday Post last night ruled out illegal drugs as behind the killing of Abad. “This incident has nothing to do with illegal drugs,” Agustin said. The belief is also shared by Gracia. Only two weeks ago when one of the notorious drug lords in Bohol, whom police identified as Romulo Caño, alyas Inday Bono, a resident of Poblacion, Ubay, was killed during an encounter with the police. Caño resisted the police when a search warrant on illegal drugs was served at his residence. Eight other drug pushers, Cano's subjects, however, surrendered to the police. Before the death of Caño, series of summary executions had hit Ubay town. Victims involved were suspected drug pushers, who reportedly failed to remit proceeds of drug trade.

On June 7, 2014, the police chief of Ubay, Major George Salcedo Caña, was killed in an ambush staged by drug lords when Caña was driving his personal pick-up car along a national highway in Talibon town. The series of killings in Ubay have earned the town a “killing-field” label, a term frowned by officials led by Ubay Mayor Galicano Atup. PSupt. Joie Pacito Yape Jr., on the other hand, said over the phone last night that the entire forces of the Atup has vowed to bring justice to the family of councilor Abad, who was his Liberal Party teammate during last year's elections. Bohol Police Provincial Office (BPPO) are at work in order to capture the killers of kagawad Abad. “We are calling the public to share with us any information that would lead to the arrest of the suspects,” Yape told the Bohol Sunday Post last night. He said any informant may text or call Ubay Police Station hotline numbers: 0915-2368-571 (globe) or 0946-1804-231 (smart).

Meanwhile, Gov. Edgar M. Chatto has condemned the killing of Abad. The governor has ordered Col. Agustin to bring to the altar of justice the perpetrators of yesterday's murder. A report of the Philippine Daily Inquirer's online version yesterday noted that “Abad was serving his second term as councilor. He previously served three terms as town councilor in 1998 to 2007. He ran for councilor in 2010 and won.”