Magdalo member shot; bomb threat hoax

BACOLOD CITY , Philippines  â€”  An alleged member of the Magdalo group was gunned down in Barangay Inayawan, Cauayan town, Sunday afternoon.

Senior Inspector Lowell Garinganao, chief of Cauayan Police Station, identified the victim as Francisco Salvacion Jr., 41, of the same barangay.

Garinganao said the victim was on his way home, on board his motorcycle, when he was waylaid by an unidentified suspect. The victim sustained gunshot wounds on his lower back, which caused his instantaneous death.

Police recovered three empty shells of .45 caliber on the crime scene.

According to Garinganao, police probers have yet to establish the motive of the crime. However, he noted that they are looking at a land conflict for the possible reason why the victim was murdered.

Further, he noted that the victim received threats on his cellphone, as he pointed out that they have already a lead on the suspect.

Police continue to investigate the incident and are on hot pursuit against the suspect, he said.

Meanwhile, police here say that the bomb threats against the main office of the Central Negros Electric Cooperative and the Bacolod Government Center Monday morning were a hoax.

Senior Superintendent Larry Decena, officer-in-charge of the Bacolod City Police Office, stressed that the bomb scare was a false alarm, as he pointed out that it may be strategy of the suspects to divert the attention of the city police force before they would stage their criminal operation.

However, the bomb threats scared the employees and clients of the two offices, adding that he ordered all station chiefs in the city to intensify their police visibility.

According to Ceneco public relations officer Cheryl Tortal, an employee of the coop's Cash Division received a telephone call from an unidentified woman informing them  that a bomb would explode at around 9 a.m.

She informed the security officer, who immediately clear the building by advising the  workers and paying consumers to go out of the office.

Responding policemen cordoned the area and checked the whole building through the help of bomb-sniffing dogs, but no bomb was found.

Tortal said the bomb threat caused a two-hour delay in their operations.

It was the first time they received a bomb threat, she said, as she assured that the cooperative would observe stricter security measures.

Meanwhile, Decena said that the Bacolod City Government Center, also received the same bomb scare from a man-caller at around10:30 a.m. However, it was a false alarm, too.

Decena stressed that those people, who gave out false information purposely to create fear or tension, would be charged. (FREEMAN)