In the first 23 days this month, eight more cases added to the heap of shooting incidents recorded in the province.

Police investigators already have leads in two of the eight cases, while they continue investigations on the rest.

In his report during the Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) meeting on May 23, Police Supt. Ricky Delelis, information officer of the Bohol Police Provincial Office (BPPO), five victims died in the eight shooting incidents recorded on May 1-23 died while four survived.

The latest shock came to the capital city on May 21, at around 11:30 a.m. when a 41-year-old security guard of CARD Bank identified as Marianito Corbito was found slumping on his motorcycle, already dead with gunshot wound, at the corner of Lamdagan St. and Airport Road in barangay Cogon.

The Tagbilaran City Police Station received the report through a telephone call from TARSIER 117 at around 11:45 that morning.

PO1 Ramel Alturas and PO1 Majurricko Arawiran of the Cogon Police Community Precinct, Aviation Police personnel led by PO2 Eljune Garcia, Quick Response Team personnel, and duty criminal investigator—PO2 Max Dexter Bacolot responded to the alarm.

Investigation showed that at around 11:30 a.m., the victim—a resident of Purok 4 in Barangay Ubujan, Tagbilaran City but a native of barangay San Vicente in Dagohoy—was then about to start the engine of his Honda XRM 125 motorcycle when two men riding a black Kawasaki Fury motorcycle stopped near him and shot him four times hitting his head and parts of the body, resulting to his instantaneous death.

The riding in tandem then immediately fled towards Benigno Aquino Avenue.

The Scene of the Crime Operatives, led by Police Inspector Jovani Abregana, recovered four empty shells of caliber .45 ammunition, one fired bullet, two cellphones, assorted identification cards, photos, money amounting to P590 and others personal belongings.

Fiscal Adolfo Doroy of the City Prosecutor’s Office and the victim’s brother witnessed the inventory of recovered items at the crime scene.

The victim sustained gunshot wounds—one entering the nape and going through the right side of the head, another entering the right ear and going through the left ear, and the third entering the lower part of the victim’s back that went through the right portion of the abdomen.

Investigators at the Tagbilaran City Police Station continue conducting further investigation for possible identification and arrest of the assailants.

At around 10:30 p.m. on the same day, another shooting incident was recorded in barangay Bagumbayan, Pilar.

Pilar chief of police, Inspector Dario Nuez, identified the victim as Joseph Balili, a 36-year-old laborer and resident of barangay Bagumbayan.

Investigators believed the assailant shot the victim with a caliber .45 pistol, since they found two empty shells of caliber .45 at the crime scene.

The victim and his live-in partner, Conception Gorne, were at the house of the victim’s parents at around 9 p.m.

The victim later asked for money from his live–in partner to buy cigarettes.

A few minutes, they heard two gunshots from the area near the sari-sari store of Lucio Amila where the victim must have gone to buy cigarettes.

The store owner came out to check and was shocked to find a person lying on the ground outside the store, prompting him to call his neighbors and informed of the shooting incident.

Victim sustained two gunshot wounds on the body.

About a week earlier, Carmen Police Station recorded another shooting incident where one Marino Bernaniza, a 47-year-old resident of barangay Buenavista, was killed.

At about 5 pm on May 14, the duty desk officer, PO1 Alberto Cabahug received a call from a certain Iyas Clavete of barangay Buenavista informing about a shooting incident in their village.

Elements of Carmen Police Station, led by SP04 Felix Avergonzado, proceeded to the reported crime scene upon the instruction of Police Inspector Joseph Lopena.

Based on investigation, the shooting incident must have transpired at around 4:30 pm when the victim was sitting beside the house of a certain Michelle Antasoda.

Investigators learned that an unidentified person suddenly approached the victim and drew a firearm and shot him several times.

The victim sustained one gunshot wound in his right eyebrow, resulting to his instantaneous death.

Responding police team recovered four empty shells of caliber 9mm ammunition from the crime scene.

In Sagbayan, at around 12:45 pm on May 9, another shooting incident occurred at the front yard of the house of one Jessie Baluran at the sub-village of Capitol in Poblacion area.

Police identified the victim as one Steven Pegad, a 32-year-old resident of barangay Nahawan in Clarin.

A lone assailant shot Pegad, using a 9mm. pistol, based on the 9mm fired cartridge at the crime scene.

Investigation showed that the victim was bringing a passenger—one Evangeline Ligan, a 56-year-old widow and a resident of Tangaran in Clarin—from Tangaran in Clarin to Poblacion, Sagbayan on his EUROX 125 motorcycle on a pre-agreed fare of P100.

According to Ligan, she disembarked at sitio Capitol and walked to the store of Fe Perocillo where she had a previous commitment, then proceeded to the house of Jessie Baluran just across the road to see a friend named “Bebe”.

According to witnesses, several minutes later after Evangeline Ligan had gone to see “Bebe”, the EUROX 125 motorcycle returned and the driver was told by a neighbor to park his motorcycle under the shade inside the fenced premises of the house of Jessie Baluran.

When the victim was maneuvering to park his motorcycle, another motorcycle arrived with the engine still running.

The man disembarked from his motorcycle and followed the victim then drew a firearm and the latter on the back.

The victim died from the gunshot wound that hit him from the nape and went through his left eye, causing his instantaneous death.

The case is still under further investigation as to the identification of the assailant and the possible filing of charges.

Another shooting incident was earlier recorded in the town Alicia wherein the police investigators identified the victim as one Jaime Paguia, married and a resident of barangay La Hacienda, was killed.

At around 4 pm on May 5, the municipal police station received a phone call from a concerned citizen, informing of a shooting incident at the sub-village of Fatima in barangay Katipunan involving one Jaime Paguia and one Agustin Oclida—a 37-year-old resident of sitio Fatima in barangay Katipunan.

Police officers from Alicia Police Station, led by Senior Inspector Jaime Dulcero, had just boarded the patrol car in front of Alicia Municipal Hall when they saw Oclida—wounded and had a firearm of unknown caliber in his possession with Blue Thunder marking and serial no. 1000054.

Oclida failed to present any document for the said firearm, prompting the police officers to place him under arrest and immediately brought him to the hospital for immediate medical attention.

Responding officers immediately proceeded to a crime scene in barangay Katipunan together with the Alicia Emergency Rescue Unit (AERU).

Upon arriving at the crime scene, they saw a wounded and unconscious Paguia.

They immediately brought Paguia to Don Emilio del Valle Memorial Hospital in the next town of Ubay, but he was declared dead on arrival.

Scene of the Crime Operatives recovered one undetermined fired cartridge case, one Smith and Wesson .38 revolver without serial number loaded with three empty shells and one live ammo, one home-made sub-machine gun loaded with one live ammo with steel magazine.

From initial investigation, it was learned that prior to the incident, Paguia requested for police assistance regarding the unlawful harvesting at the disputed land between him and somebody surnamed Oculam. They were pacified by the responding police personnel.

However, Oclida—who was residing nearby—asked one mango but Paguia refused, resulting to a heated argument, and later to a shooting incident.

In Clarin, the municipal police station recorded another shooting incident that transpired at around 7 pm on May 1 at the boundary of barangays Danahao in Clarin and Buenos Aries in Tubigon.

Police identified the victims as One Jaime Betasa, a 48-year-old construction worker residing in barangay Catigbian in the town of Buenavista, and one Danilo Carmona, a 44-year-old jobless resident of barangay Hibale in Danao and a native of barangay Lubang in Buenavista.

Betasa sustained a gunshot wound in his left foot, while Carmona sustained a gunshot in his left shoulder.

According to reports, both were shot by an unknown suspect while in the house of a certain Norberto Podador.

The team from Clarin Police Station, who responded to the report, recovered five 9mm fired slugs at the crime scene.

Based on investigation, the victims were together with Podador inside the house when the unknown gunman came and shot the victims. The allegedly fled immediately.

Prior to the incident, victims were seen having a drinking spree at the nearby store.

However, Podador, told investigators at the municipal police station the following morning that he was pasturing his cow when the incident happened and he did not know the names of the victims names.

His allegation puzzled the investigator how the victims managed to get inside the house if the owner does not know their identity.

The victims were then brought to Carmen Hospital for immediate treatment, but later referred to a hospital in Tagbilaran City Hospital for further medical treatment.