BUCAY, Abra – An aspirant for barangay kagawad died after he was repeatedly shot to death by two still unidentified motorcycle riding in tandem suspects at sitio Nagpasinan, barangay Bangbangcag, here, recently.
Police authorities identified the fatality as Catalino Turalba, Sr., a candidate for barangay kagawad in the upcoming October 30, 2023 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections.
Probers disclosed that Turalba, together with his son, were on board the latter’s motorcycle heading to barangay Palaquio to bring his son to school.
He was reportedly tailed by the riding in tandem suspects where one of the armed suspects shot him several times hitting him on the different parts of his body.
Concerned residents and bystanders immediately rushed the victim to the St. Therese hospital in the nearby town of Dolores for medical treatment of the gunshot wounds that he sustained.
The victim was then transferred to the Abra Provincial hospital in Bangued town for further medical treatment but he later expired while undergoing medical procedures.
The local police are now conducting a hot pursuit operation against the suspects who are believed to be still in the locality after the said shooting incident.
The victim’s family is now seeking for justice on his untimely demise and believe that the shooting incident is politically motivated while election officials are studying the possibility of placing Abra under the control of the Co0ommission on \elections (Comelec) to prevent the occurrence of similar incidents that might result to bloodshed while the elections are just around the corner. By Dexter A. See