SAN JUAN, Abra – A 58-year old farmer died after she was repeatedly shot to death by still unidentified gunmen when she went to collected leaves for the food of his cows at sitio Alimusgan, barangay Abualan, here Sunday.
Senior Superintendent Antonio Bartolome, provincial director of the Abra Provincial Police Office, identified the victim as Mercedita Beronilla Bragas, 58, married, farmer, and a resident of Sitio Alimusgan, Barangay Abualan, San Juan, Abra.
Initial police investigation showed the victim left their house and proceeded to the forested area of their place to collect leaves for her cows.
After several minutes, her relatives informed probers that they heard several gunshots that emanated from the forested area.
At this juncture, her father instructed her sister to go to the forest and checked what happened to her daughter.
To their surprise, they found the victim sprawled on the forested area with four gunshot wounds on the different parts of her body.
Responding police operatives recovered from the crime scene four spent shells of a calibre 5.56 Armalite rifle that was used by the still unidentified suspects in the perpetration of the crime.
The case is still undergoing investigation as the victim was said to be a supporter of a mayoralty candidate in there municipality.
By Dexter A. See