By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

A barangay tanod was shot dead in broad daylight by still unidentified gunmen along 13th Lacson Street, part of Bacolod City’s Barangay 7, yesterday morning.

Police identified the fatality as 42-year-old Michael Hugo, a resident of Purok Tahong in Barangay 2 and village tanod of the said place.

Based on initial investigation carried out by Police Station 2, Hugo, who also works as a tricycle driver, picked up two passengers, a male and a female, in the city’s Barangay Banago.

Hugo then drove the passengers to Lacson Street and upon reaching 13th street, one of the passengers suddenly shot him multiple times.

Despite the initial wounds, Hugo managed to get out of his tricycle and run for at least another 25 meters before falling down in front of a nearby hotel.

The suspects, meanwhile, boarded a waiting motorcycle which quickly drove away from the crime scene.

Hugo was declared dead-on-the-spot after sustaining multiple gunshot wounds on his body.

Following the incident, the victim’s wife Nerissa, said that her husband did not receive any prior threats,. She also denied that her husband was involved in illegal drug activities.

The police, meanwhile, are currently verifying Hugo’s background as information has also surfaced that Hugo was previously a police asset.

Police are currently investigating the motive behind Hugo’s murder./DGB, WDJ