Cockfight row eyed in Quezon City tanod's murder

The head of village watchmen or tanods of Barangay Batasan Hills in Quezon City was shot dead by armed men who blocked his motorcycle before noon yesterday.

Policemen are eyeing two possible leads: vengeance by those once apprehended by victim Eduardo Pumar, 54, or a reported squabble among operators of illegal cockfighting houses in the area.

Pumar was declared dead at the Malvar General Hospital due to six gunshot wounds, two of which were in the head, said case investigator Senior Police Officer 3 Leonardo Pasco.

The victim is the executive officer of village watchmen in Barangay Batasan Hills.

Superintendent Franklin Moises Mabanag, chief of the Quezon City Police District-Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit, said the killing may be related to past apprehensions made by Pumar as a village watchman.

He said they are also checking reports of a possible rivalry among cockfight house operators in the area.

“There were reports that Pumar himself was operating a cockfight house,” Mabanag said.

He said the incident happened at around 11:30 a.m. at the corner of Session Road and Muñoz street.

Pumar was onboard his motorcycle when a black Toyota Revo reportedly blocked his path. Two men got off the other vehicle and one of them repeatedly fired shots at the victim.

Pasco said the two men returned to the vehicle, but a third one got out again to fire another round of shots at the victim, who was lying on the pavement.

A vendor said the suspects were wearing police uniforms. 

However, a truck driver told investigators that the assailants were wearing black shirts.