Published by The Bohol ChronicleThe murder of Tiptip Barangay Captain Marcelo “Amar†Epe could be linked to his refusal to cooperate in solving the financial woes bedevilling his estranged wife in relation to the human trafficking case she is facing.
This is seen as the most immediate probable link to the death threats that Epe had been receiving prior to his murder on Monday last week.
Epe died on the spot Monday afternoon after sustaining six fatal gunshot wounds in the head, chest and shoulder.
The barangay captain was gunned down after the session at around 4:20 in the afternoon last Monday while he was at a store beside his house across the covered court of their barangay.
The city police station received the report on the incident at about 4:30 p.m.
The gunmen were on board a black Honda Honda motorcycle, both wearing helmets that covered their identity.
According to SPO2 Necito Roluna of the Criminal Investigation Section of the city police, they found six empty shells of caliber. 45 at the crime scene, coinciding with the six bursts of gunfire heard by residents nearby and the six gunshot wounds seen by the medico-legal officer.
Entry wounds were seen on the left shoulder from the back where the first shot hit, then on the left chest.
Epe had already fallen on the ground when the gunman finished him with a shot on the left portion of the head below the left ear.
A few minutes prior to the incident, one of them was seen buying softdrinks at the store where the barangay captain of Tiptip was gunned down later.
Witnesses described that the perpetrators covered their faces with cloth beneath the full-face helmet with only the eyes exposed.
PInsp. Adriano Bacus, OIC of the city police and head of the intelligence section, said the barangay captain was at the store when the two suspects on board the motorcycle stopped, then the backrider alighted, approached him and fired without saying a word.
Some neighbors believed it had something to do with illegal drugs.
Bacus confirmed that the barangay captain had been known to be a drug user but was believed to have stopped since last year as he had considerably gained weight lately.
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