MURDER A CASE OF ‘MISTAKEN IDENTITY’

Relative of Talisay barangay official says he doesn’t believe politics is behind the murder; his family had not experienced bitter rivalries in past 4 elections

The director of the Police Regional Office (PRO) 7 has ordered a thorough investigation on the attacks that killed a village official and jail inmates in Talisay City.

Chief Supt. Debold Sinas has formed a special investigation task group to look into the cases.

He said the Talisay City police are looking into all possible motives behind the attack on Lagtang Barangay Councilor Art Stephen Bas, 23. This includes the possibility that it was drug-related.

Bas is the grandson of Talisay City Councilor Arturo Bas and son of former Lagtang barangay captain Marc Ferdinand Bas, one of three Cebu officials linked to illegal drugs in a government list released before the May elections.

City Councilor Bas said the murder may have been a case of “mistaken identity.”

He told SunStar Cebu yesterday that his grandson may have been mistaken by criminals for his son, the former Lagtang village chief.

The elder Bas said the white SUV used by his grandson on the day he was killed was often used by his son before he resigned as village chief. The elder Bas said he doesn’t believe that politics was behind the murder, especially since his family had not experienced bitter rivalries in the past four barangay elections.

Talisay City Police Chief Marlu Conag said that as of yesterday, they had yet to identify Bas’ killers. Police are trying to get security camera footage from establishments near the site where Bas was ambushed. He was driving in the South Road Properties in Barangay Cansojong when three men on two motorcycles shot him.