INC members’ house strafed: 1 dead, 3 hurt

CEBU, Philippines - The house of a family, all members of the Iglesia ni Cristo, were strafed by unidentified suspects, killing a 61-year-old woman and wounding three others at 9 p.m. yesterday at Barangay 3 of Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental.

Police identified the fatality as Jovita Jocson, who died on the spot with a gunshot wound on her head, and those injured were her 62-year-old husband Conrado who was hit on the left thigh and foot; 20-year-old son Joefrey who was hit on the left thigh, and 13-year-old grandchild who was wounded on her left arm and back of her head.

Superintendent Antonietto Cañete, Himamaylan City Police chief, said the victims just arrived from a church service and were having dinner when the strafing occurred from the back portion of their nipa house.

The wounded victims are now confined at a hospital in Bacolod City, while the police found 17 empty shells of bullets from an M16 rifle. —Marchel P. Espina (FREEMAN)