BACOLOD CITY – A couple and their son were found dead with bullet wounds at home in Sitio Guinam-an, Barangay Buenavista, Murcia, Negros Occidental on Friday, May 2.
Police Major Sherwin Fernandez, Murcia police chief, identified the victim as Neldi, 59; his wife Josephine, 60; and their son Jovi, 33.
The victims sustained bullet wounds and found at past 5 a.m. by their relative who arrived to fetch water in a well.
Fernandez said the first to be discovered was the son, whose body was found outside their house near the well. His father was found near the kitchen, while his mother was found at the veranda.
The incident was reported to the police at around 7 a.m. on Friday.
The victims were reportedly shot dead by two unidentified persons on Thursday night, May 1.
Fernandez said that they are probing if the incident is related to a land dispute within the family.
He said that Neldi met relatives for the possible settlement of a land conflict in the barangay a few months ago. Police did not elaborate further to protect the safety of other individuals.
Fernandez said that according to neighbors, gunshots were heard at around 8 p.m. in the area but ignored these and assumed they were just firecrackers.
Police are still gathering witnesses and information to establish the motive.
Fernandez said that there was no indication that a commotion or confrontation happened before the shooting. No valuables were also missing from the victims’ house.
Recovered from the crime scene were fired .45-caliber bullets and a .38-caliber revolver.
Fernandez said the incident is not insurgency-related and are focusing their investigation on the personal affairs of the victims. (Glazyl Masculino)
