A barangay kagawad and his partner were killed while another man was injured in a broad daylight shooting in Barangay 21, San Agustin, San Nicolas, on Sunday afternoon.
Police reports said the incident occurred around 2:35 p.m. The fatalities were identified as Joshua Bernardo, 26, a barangay kagawad and resident of Barangay 21, who died on the spot, and Eloisa Pagaduan Bonilla, 30, who was declared dead on arrival at a local hospital. A third victim, Mark John Bernardo, 25, sustained a gunshot wound on the thigh and remains confined for treatment.
Initial investigation revealed that the victims were having a meal at the porch of their residence when two unidentified assailants wearing black shirts arrived on a Yamaha NMAX motorcycle without a license plate and opened fire. The suspects immediately fled northward after the attack.
Barangay Chairman Pete Duldulao said Bernardo had not reported receiving any threats prior to the incident.
Following an intensive manhunt, sources confirmed that a police corporal assigned to the Tourist Police Unit of the Ilocos Norte Police Provincial Office was arrested Sunday night after a follow-up operation conducted by the Philippine National Police in connection with the killings.
DAILY TRIBUNE was present outside the San Nicolas Municipal Police Station during the suspect’s arrival. However, two police officers prevented this correspondent from taking photos as the suspect was being escorted inside the station — an act that could be construed as an unwarranted restriction of press freedom or a form of informal censorship.
Police investigators have yet to release the suspect’s identity pending the filing of formal charges. Follow-up operations and the investigation remain ongoing.