Farmer, his daughter killed; brgy execs named suspects
TACLOBAN CITY — A family of three at a remote mountain barangay in Calbayog City, Samar was attacked by armed men in broad daylight last Monday, resulting in the death of the farmer and his daughter, with his wife later found in critical condition at a hospital.
Calbayog City Police investigator, Senior Police Officer 1 Charles Coprada, identified the fatalities as 42-year-old Jojo Dulay, and his 3-year-old daughter, whose body was still unaccounted for, and reported to have been buried by the suspects at an undisclosed location near the crime scene at the victims’ house in Barangay Gigaasan
Responding policemen found the dead body of Jojo Dulay, in his house, already in a state of decomposition, while his wife Analie was later found by investigators at a hospital in Northern Samar, in critical condition due to several gunshot wounds on various parts of her body.
"This could be a breakthrough in the investigation, from which we can get straight from the mouth of Analie Dulay (facts of the incident). I hope she can survived. We are closely monitoring her condition, while we are giving her a police escort to secure her in the hospital," Coprada told The FREEMAN.
The village is located seven hills from the city proper, and could only be reached by hiking from five to six days, Coprada said, thus it took the police five days of trekking into the barangay and reach the house of the victims.
The police had gathered initial information that five barangay officials were the alleged perpetrators, based on accounts of eyewitnesses and physical evidences collected by the six-man investigating team from the crime scene.
The police had arrested Barangay Chairperson Leny Roño, Treasurer Aries Cajusay, Councilman Jesus Roño, Tanod Herman Sumagdon, and the son of the chief tanod Ely Saluyan.
Yesterday morning the investigating team filed criminal charges against the suspects for multiple murder, frustrated murder and illegal possession of firearms before the Calbayog City Prosecutor’s Office.
The police also clarified to the media that, among of the possible motives of the crime is "land dispute," considering that the brothers of Jojo were suspects of killing of then Gigaasan chairman sometime in 2016. This could be an act of vengeance, Coprada said.
The victims were at their house when the suspects opened fired, using a homemade shotgun and a .38-caliber pistol, killing Jojo on the spot and his daughter, he said.
"Twelve live ammunition of a 12-gauge shotgun, slugs of a .38-caliber gun, and personal belongings of the victims were recovered from the crime scene," Coprada said.