CABANATUAN CITY – A 54-year-old woman and her 23-year-old daughter were shot dead by a government employee who is facing multiple rape charges in Barangay Aduas here at dawn Monday.
Natalia Espiritu was on board a tricycle driven by her daughter Florence Espiritu-Bernardo at about 4:35 a.m. along Ramirez St., Barangay Aduas when the suspect, identified as Osmando Valino, 61, shot them repeatedly in different parts of their bodies, according to the police.
But the suspect subsequently committed suicide by shooting his head using the same hand gun, reportedly a .9mm, a few meters away from the crime scene, said Supt. Eli Depra, city police chief.
Depra said the victims and the suspect were neighbors in the said sub-urban village.
Responding authorities rushed the victims to Dr, Paulino J., Garcia Memorial Research and Medical Center and the suspect to Good Samaritan Hospital but were all declared dead on arrival by their respective physicians, Depra said.
Investigation showed the suspect was facing six counts of statutory rape on a 12-year-girl.
He was to attend an inquest proceeding before the city prosecutors officer on the day of the attack
Depra said they have yet to establish the motive behind the attack but admitted they are looking into possible connection of the rape charges owing to unconfirmed reports that Valino suspected the victims were behind the filing of charges.
