Killings persist in Ilocos

LAOAG CITY, Ilocos Norte, Philippines – Almost everyday, someone is killed in Ilocos Norte.

This, even with police avowals of an improved peace and order situation.

On Friday, a young lawyer – Eddie Gregorio, from Barangay Calambeng, Piddig town, was shot here by unknown gunmen after he reportedly got set-up to meeting a client but met his death instead.

Police claimed the young lawyer excused himself from his lawyer-colleagues to meet a supposed client. Instead, he was shot in the nape and right arm.

Investigators found four empty shells of a .45 caliber firearm from the crime scene.

A witness reportedly told police that he saw a motorcycle-riding gunman closed-in at Gregorio and pumped bullets on him.

Friday’s shooting was the latest in a string of shootings in the province.

Ilocos Norte police had claimed these killings were mostly prompted by personal grudges rather than “dirty politics.”

Earlier, Ilocos Norte police director Senior Superintendent Benjamin Lusad vowed an improved situation in the province as policemen reportedly hiked their operations against criminals.

But shootings continued. 

Middle of this week, a policeman was shot in front of a cockpit arena in Dingras town, a few weeks after a police officer was also ambushed along the national highway in Batac town, also in Ilocos Norte. Also last week, a father and his son were peppered with bullets inside their house in the fishing town of Solsona.

Police blames the proliferation of loose guns in the province including guns-for-hire, a thing that they have been working on for several months now. – Artemio Dumlao