Barangay captain shot dead in ambush in Carcar City

05/15/2010

The election is over but the violence continues.

Barely a week after the hotly-contested election, a barangay captain was shot dead in an ambush by unidentified motorcycle-riding gunmen in sitio Bacsije, barangay Ocaña, Carcar City shortly after midnight yesterday.

The victim was identified as Jose Diac Husain, 41, who died on the spot from multiple gunshot wounds. His body was brought to Cosmopolitan funeral homes for autopsy.

Initial police investigation showed that Husain was on his way home to sitio Bacsije at about 12:15 a.m. on board his service multicab when armed men on a motorcycle shot him several times.

Husain suffered gunshot wounds on his right armpit, body and chest and died instantly.

Police recovered three slugs of a caliber .45 caliber pistol and eight empty shells from the crime scene.

Insp. Socrates Medillo of the Carcar police station said Husain’s sister told him that his brother did not have any enemy since he was a good man.

Medillo said Husain, who was elected first councilor, replaced barangay captain Melo Bayawa who had left the country.

Vice Mayor Nicepuro Apura, the incoming mayor of Carcar City, told CEBU DAILY NEWS that Husain was his close friend ever since Husain was still a barangay councilor.

Apura said Husain was one of the people who made him win in the May 10 elections.

“Usa gud to si Husain na nakapadaog sa akong pagka candidato pagka mayor (Husain was one of those who helped me win as mayor),” Apura said.

He said he didn’t believe in the allegations that Husain didn’t give the money that a politician gave to him for the volunteers during the elections.

“Dugay name nagkuyog ani ni Husain. Maayo ning tao, sukad pa katong konsihal siya sa barangay hangtod nalang na barangay captain siya. Kaila kaayo ko niya. Layo raman na sa tinuod ila pasangil sa kwarta, (I had been with Husain for a long time. He is a good man even at that time that he was a barangay councilor until he was elected barangay captain. I know him. It is far from truth that allegations on money),” Apura said.

According to Apura, Husain accompanied him in his rallies and campaigns and was told by the victim that he received death threats.

But Apura dismissed it just as a “hulga-hulga” and never thought it would reach to the point of killing Husain.

Apura said he suspected that drugs may have something to do with the killing since Husain was an informant of the authorities in their drug operations.

Apura assured that he would help get justice for Husain’s death, saying he trusted the authorities in solving the case.

Senior Supt. Erson Digal, chief of Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO), said they were looking into possibles motives for the killing.

Digal said they received information that the victim did not give money to the volunteers after some complained of not receiving the money which reportedly came from a politician.

Another possible motive that authorities were looking into was drugs because Husain was a police asset and reportedly gave information for the anti-drugs operation of the police.

“Daghan ni siya achievements sa drugs kay informant mani siya,” Digal said.

He added that the victim is single but has three children.

Digal said two to three persons could have been involved in the ambush.

He added that they are still looking for other witnesses that could identify the suspects.

Digal has directed the chief of police of Carcar to solve the killing.

(Cebu Daily News)