ABUCAY, Bataan — A 73-year-old dragon fruit farm owner was gunned down while driving his owner-type jeep at an upland sitio here Tuesday.
Bataan police director Col. Romell Velasco identified the victim as Fernando Forbes of Barangay Mabatang.
Police said the victim was about to enter his farm in Sitio Gasak on board his jeep when one of two men approached and shot him twice on the chest and head, causing his instantaneous death;
The still unidentified men with one wearing red T-shirt and the other in white shirt, were both with short firearms. They fled on foot towards an unknown direction, report said.
Velasco said the provincial police office and the Abucay municipal police station headed by Major Dennis Duran are conducting follow-up investigation and other means to identify the suspects and motive for the killing.
Dolores Forbes, 73, on Wednesday said her husband in an owner-type jeep had just left their hut in one dragon fruit farm to visit another nearby farm in Sitio Gasak when she heard two successive gunshots.
“Matapos kong marinig ang putok ay pupunta sana ako sa lugar kaya lang hinarang na ako ng mga taong kasamahan namin sa bukid at sinabi sa akin na huwag nang magpunta doon dahil si Tatang ay binaril,” the wife said.
She said her husband died inside the jeep he was driving and was no longer brought to the hospital.
“Walang kaaway o kahit na ano ang aking mister dahil mabait at tahimik ito. Matagal na kami sa lugar simula pa 1992,” Dolores said. “Mabait na tao at tahimik ang asawa ko at hindi namin matanggap dahil nakatungkod na ito kung lumakad ay hindi pa naawa ang mga gumawa nito sa kanya.”
She said that some witnesses described one suspect as heavy-built and the other as a small man.
“Naglalakad daw ang mga ito pababa tapos bumalik pa at tinanggal ang susi sa owner dahil siguro akala nila buhay pa ang biktima at kung nandoon ang susi ay mahabol pa sila.”
She said that witnesses were not sure if the suspects were riding a motorcycle or not.
