Barangay captain killed in Guihulngan City gun attack —police

DUMAGUETE City —A barangay chairman in Guihulngan City in Negros Oriental was killed in last Friday's ambush attack by still unidentified assassins, the local police said.

Guihulngan City Police chief Superintendent Mario Baquiran Jr. identified the victim as Virgilio Agir Masicampo Jr., 42, chairman of the city's Barangay Nagsaha.

An initial police investigation showed that Masicampo was on his motorcycle Friday afternoon on the way to Barangay Magsaysay when three unidentified attackers waylaid him and shot him several times. He was killed on the spot.

Masicampo succumbed to 10 gunshot wounds, two in the head.

Authorities recovered from the crime scene at least 13 empty bullet shells from a 9-mm handgun, Baquiran said.

Guihulngan Police noted that Masicampo was killed in the same barangay where New People’s Army (guerrillas ambushed six high-ranking police officers on July 21, 2017, including their former chief of police Superintendent Arnel Arpon.

Police are still facing a blank wall on last Friday's attack as there were no eyewitnesses to the crime, Baquiran said, adding that the victim had not received any threats.

“Tapos na kasi ang eleksyon at hindi ... wala naman kasing masyadong bangayan ang mga opisyal doon,” he added.

Police are conducting a manhunt operation with the help of the Philippine Army’s 94th Infantry Battalion.

Masicampo is the third Guihulngan City official killed since April this year.

On April 2, unidentified motorcycle-riding armed men  shot and killed councilor Paulo Edison dela Rita Sr. while on his way home from a fundraising event.

Two months later, communist rebels strafed the house of Barangay Humay-Humay chairman Mike Jakosalem, who was critically wounded and later died in a hospital.

“Nagko-collaborate na po kami with the Army and other community organizations para mas mapadali ang imbestigasyon. We are also intensifying our checkpoints,” Baquiran said. —LBG, GMA News