By CESAR JOLITO III

A former municipal councilor in Negros Occidental’s Isabela town was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Binalbagan town on Sunday afternoon, April 12.

Police identified the victim as 72-year-old Rodolfo “Rudy” Fajardo, a resident of Isabela’s Barangay 4.

Initial investigation revealed that Fajardo was shot around 5:00 p.m. at Sitio GMA in Binalbagan’s Barangay Payao, when the victim went to visit a parcel of land he was leasing.

Binalbagan police officer-in-charge Police Captain Joelan Vinson said four armed men suddenly appeared and opened fire at the victim.

Fajardo sustained a fatal gunshot wound to the head, which caused his immediate death.

Authorities recovered empty shells from a caliber .45 pistol and a slug from a 9mm firearm at the crime scene, indicating that multiple weapons were used in the attack.

Police said they have yet to determine the motive behind the killing, noting that Fajardo, who served as councilor from 2016 to 2019, had no known enemies, pending cases or reported death threats prior to the incident.

The suspects fled immediately after the shooting and remain at large.

While there were witnesses to the crime, investigators said none were able to clearly identify the assailants.

An ongoing investigation is underway as authorities work to gather leads and identify those responsible for the killing./CJ, WDJ