PANIQUI, Tarlac—For failing to eliminate his target at the first opportunity, a gunman paid with his life.
Supt. Bayani Razalan, the municipality’s chief of police, said that on the night of February 15 Barangay San Isidro chairman Arvy Melchor, 56, and a barangay councilor were talking inside a nipa hut in front of the village chief’s house when they noticed two men on a motorcycle looking at them.
Inside his house, Melchor was keeping a 12-gauge Armscor shotgun. He went inside to get it. Upon returning to the nipa hut, the 44-year-old barangay councilor, Danilo Seman, told him the two men had motored away. They decided to wait for the two men to return, anyway.
Thirty minutes later, according to Razalan, the suspicious-looking men, identified later as Ariel Umipig, 36, and Rodel Acosta, 24, reappeared. They parked a few meters from Melchor’s nipa hut.
Umipig, the police said, then drew his gun and fired at Melchor. He missed. Melchor fired back with his shotgun and hit Umipig in the head, killing him.
The village chief also fired at Umipig’s companion, Acosta, hitting him in the left leg. Acosta hobbled his way towards a grassy patch of land at the boundary of this town and the nearby municipality of Moncada.
The police eventually arrested Acosta and brought him to the hospital for treatment.
Also in this town last February 13, four people died while one was in serious condition after they were shot by still unidentified gunmen in the house of one of the victims in Barangay Namisaan.
Razalan said the victims were inside the house of John Martin, 29, when a group of armed men arrived and introduced themselves as policemen.
The suspects told Martin they carried a warrant to search the house for firearms.
After Martin allowed them inside the house, two of the suspects dragged Martin’s wife Michelle to a bedroom. They also forced the Martin children—John Nicole, 6, and Clarence Dwane, 4—to join their mother and a househelp named Jennifer Bautista into the same room.
While in the bedroom Michelle heard the sound of several gunshots coming from the different parts of the house.
When Michelle walked out of the room, she saw the bullet-riddled body of her husband lying on the floor in a pool of blood. He was dead.
Aside from Martin, also found dead were Raymundo Bautista Jr., 41, a neighbor; Marlon Bautista, 20, a househelp; and Graciano Miguel, 76, a relative.
Another relative, Markquinn Martin, 23, survived and was rushed to the hospital where he remains in serious condition.
The suspects reportedly fled aboard a black Isuzu Trooper.
Supt. Bayani Razalan, the municipality’s chief of police, said that on the night of February 15 Barangay San Isidro chairman Arvy Melchor, 56, and a barangay councilor were talking inside a nipa hut in front of the village chief’s house when they noticed two men on a motorcycle looking at them.
Inside his house, Melchor was keeping a 12-gauge Armscor shotgun. He went inside to get it. Upon returning to the nipa hut, the 44-year-old barangay councilor, Danilo Seman, told him the two men had motored away. They decided to wait for the two men to return, anyway.
Thirty minutes later, according to Razalan, the suspicious-looking men, identified later as Ariel Umipig, 36, and Rodel Acosta, 24, reappeared. They parked a few meters from Melchor’s nipa hut.
Umipig, the police said, then drew his gun and fired at Melchor. He missed. Melchor fired back with his shotgun and hit Umipig in the head, killing him.
The village chief also fired at Umipig’s companion, Acosta, hitting him in the left leg. Acosta hobbled his way towards a grassy patch of land at the boundary of this town and the nearby municipality of Moncada.
The police eventually arrested Acosta and brought him to the hospital for treatment.
Also in this town last February 13, four people died while one was in serious condition after they were shot by still unidentified gunmen in the house of one of the victims in Barangay Namisaan.
Razalan said the victims were inside the house of John Martin, 29, when a group of armed men arrived and introduced themselves as policemen.
The suspects told Martin they carried a warrant to search the house for firearms.
After Martin allowed them inside the house, two of the suspects dragged Martin’s wife Michelle to a bedroom. They also forced the Martin children—John Nicole, 6, and Clarence Dwane, 4—to join their mother and a househelp named Jennifer Bautista into the same room.
While in the bedroom Michelle heard the sound of several gunshots coming from the different parts of the house.
When Michelle walked out of the room, she saw the bullet-riddled body of her husband lying on the floor in a pool of blood. He was dead.
Aside from Martin, also found dead were Raymundo Bautista Jr., 41, a neighbor; Marlon Bautista, 20, a househelp; and Graciano Miguel, 76, a relative.
Another relative, Markquinn Martin, 23, survived and was rushed to the hospital where he remains in serious condition.
The suspects reportedly fled aboard a black Isuzu Trooper.
