By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

The village chief of Barangay Cabcab in Negros Occidental’s Isabela town was declared dead-on-the-spot after he was gunned down by two unidentified men, early Wednesday night, August 24.

Police identified the fatality as Danilo Dautil, a resident of the said place.

Isabela municipal police chief Capt. Joseph Partidas said, based on their initial investigation, Dautil was going home on his motorcycle at the time, while the gunmen were believed to have waited for the victim to appear before opening fire.

Witnesses claimed to have seen the gunmen run towards a sugarcane plantation.

Dautil was instantly killed after sustaining gunshot wounds on the lower back portion of his skull and on his chest.

Partidas suspects that Dautil’s murder may have been perpetrated by communist insurgents in the area as the village chief had been noted to be very active in anti-insurgency programs.

It was also through Dautil’s efforts that Barangay Cabcab would later be declared “insurgency free” by the Philippine Army.
Police are continuing their investigation to the incident./DGB, WDJ