ORMOC CITY– An early morning ambush along a village road in Albuera, Leyte left two people dead and three others wounded on Monday, June 15, triggering a massive police manhunt for the unidentified gunman who fled into the mountainous area of Barangay Salvacion.
Initial reports from the Leyte Police Provincial Office (LPPO) said the victims were traveling aboard a Toyota Wigo and were headed to the town center of Albuera when they came under gunfire at around 7 a.m. while passing through an uphill section of the road in Barangay Salvacion.
Killed in the attack were Maria Noya Velos, 51, and Sherwin Villones Gumop-As, 23, both residents of the village. Velos was reported to be the common-law wife of Barangay Salvacion Chairman Walter Taripe.
Police said both victims sustained gunshot wounds to the head and neck and died on the spot.
Three other passengers survived the attack but sustained injuries. They were identified as Daniel Gumop-As, 56, a 17-year-old minor, and John Carlo Israel Porneto, 18. The wounded victims were taken to Ormoc District Hospital for medical treatment.
Authorities have yet to identify the suspect or determine the motive behind the shooting. Investigators said the assailant used an undetermined firearm before escaping toward the mountainous portion of the barangay.
The incident prompted a hot pursuit operation led by Police Major Franklin Romeo Parangan Jr., with personnel from the Albuera Municipal Police Station, Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) units, and other responding police teams combing nearby areas for the suspect.
Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) were also dispatched to process the crime scene and gather forensic evidence that could aid the investigation.
LPPO Director Col. Celerino Sacro Jr. said police are exhausting all efforts to identify and apprehend the perpetrator and are coordinating with residents who may have information about the attack.
Investigators are pursuing all possible leads as they work to establish the motive behind the shooting.
The provincial police office extended its condolences to the victims’ families and assured the public that a thorough investigation is underway to bring those responsible to justice.
(ROBERT DEJON, LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)
