By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

A jail guard was wounded yesterday afternoon after he was ambushed by riding-in-tandem suspects outside Bacolod City’s Bredco Port.

Police identified the victim as Jail Officer 1 Jayvee Jason Vargas, who is assigned as a jail guard at the Metro Bacolod District Jail in the city’s Barangay Handumanan.

Based on eyewitness accounts, Vargas arrived from Iloilo City after attending a seminar and boarded a red pick-up truck. While exiting the port area, two unidentified gunmen aboard a motorcycle opened fire at Vargas, who was sitting in the passenger side of the vehicle.

The gunmen immediately sped off while Vargas’ sister, who was driving, rushed him to the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital.

Vargas sustained a gunshot wound to the right arm.

At least eight bullet holes were visible on the pick-up truck.

Investigators also recovered several slugs and empty shells from a .45 caliber firearm inside the vehicle and from the crime scene, respectively.

Police are presently investigating a motive behind the incident./DGB, WDJ