4 shot dead, 1 wounded

GANDARA, SAMAR, Philippines – Two barangay councilmen, a husband of a village chairwoman and a teenager were the latest to die in the rising list of victims of killings that has been hounding the first district of Samar, despite of the recent heightened efforts by authorities to dismantle armed groups in the province.

Councilmen Michael Ocong, 41,  and Alvin Casaljay, 25, both of Barangay Beslig of this town in Samar, together with Pepe Ocong,55, husband of Chairwoman Maria Ocong of the same village, and a certain RR Ocong, 18, all died on the spot from multiple gunshot wounds in a Friday ambush.

A companion of the fatalities, identified by the police as Aquino Ocong, 49, survived the attack but still in critical condition at a hospital as of press time. He is now under close security and monitoring by the police who said he might be able to provide information on the incident and the assailants.

The victims were fired upon by an unidentified group of men at about 10:30 a.m. while navigating their usual route, via Gandara River in a boat to the town proper.

Based on the report from the police, obtained by The FREEMAN, barangay tanod Tito Lomentigar of Beslig reported the ambush to a CAFGU Detachment in the barangay, saying that the group of Pepe Ocong was sailing along the river when attacked by a flurry of fire from an undetermined caliber of guns.

A certain Sergeant Cortez from the CAFGU Unit in Beslig Village in turn reported the incident to the PNP Gandara, which in turn immediately proceeded to the scene and conducted pursuit operations against the attackers..

The fatalities and the wounded were retrieved and were brought to the Gandara District Hospital already at about 6 p.m.

Samar Governor Sharee Ann Tan, in a text message sent to The FREEMAN yesterday, confirmed that the victims were her camp's supporters, but she declined to comment if the ambush was politically motivated. “Nauubos na an amon mga political leaders because of these killings. This has to stop,” she said.

On October 8, the Police Regional Office-8, in coordination with the Philippine Army's 8th Infantry Division launched the Regional Special Operations Task Force, headed by Senior Superintendent Isaias Tonog, to neutralize private armed groups and their leaders that were believed to be behind the spate of killings in Samar.

During the same occassion, Governor Tan, then PRO-8 director Chief Superintendent Asher Dolina, and 8th ID commander Major General Jet Vilarmino, together with 13 mayors of the province, signed a peace covenant to stop political violence and the existence of PAGs. Tan even announced a P100,000 cash reward in exchange for the arrest of every PAG member.

Samar Police provincial director, Senior Superintendent Elmer Pelobello, said the Gandara Police are now investigating the incident to find out the motive of the killing. There were unconfirmed reports that the killing of Ocong was a retallation against the latter.

Ocong was allegely the perpetrator of the killing a year ago of Alex Reposar, barangay chairman of Enrique in Gandara, his 9-year-old son and the driver of motorized banca.

Only last September 15, six members of the Sonny Regulacion family at Barangay Victory in Calbayog City including minors, were massacred allegely by the Managaysay PAG  headed by a certain Boboy Billeza. The case is now pending at the Calbayog City Prosecution's Office. (FREEMAN)