BANGUED, Abra – A 43-year old driver died while his 19-year old back rider was hurt after they were fired upon by two still unidentified motorcycle-riding armed men at sitio Ubbog, Lipcan here recently.
Senior Superintendent Antonio Bartolome, provincial director of the Abra Provincial Police Office, identified the fatality as Roger Apolonio Dacquel, 43, married, driver, a resident of Pagaoay Calot, Bangued, Abra while ha named the injured back rider as Bartolome Artienda Reyes, 19, single, and a resident of Sitio Pitao Bagalay, Tayum, Abra.
Initial police investigation showed the victim and his back rider were on board a motorcycle traversing the place of incident when two still unidentified armed motorcycle-riding individuals suddenly appeared from nowhere and fired at them several times.
Dacquel sustained two gunshot wounds on his body and one on his head that caused his instantaneous death while Reyes sustained two gunshot wounds on his body that allowed him to be able to jump into a creek for safety.
Responding police operatives were able to recover from the crime scene several spent shells of a calibre .45 pistol used by the suspects in the perpetration of the crime.
Reyes was rescued by the responding police operatives and was rushed to the Abra Provincial Hospital for medical treatment while the suspects are now the subject of a manhunt operation.
By Dexter A. See