A suspected drug personality who was released from detention for a previous drug charge last year was shot dead Wednesday morning in Sitio Mato-og, Barangay Basak in Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental.
A report from the Negros Oriental Provincial Police Office (NOPPO) identified the victim as Francis Kelly Paculares Aragones, 45, married, and a resident of Roxas Street in Barangay Poblacion of the said town.
The report said the victim, together with his mother, was riding on a motorcycle on their way home around 11:15 a.m. when two motorcycle riding-in-tandem suspects shot the victim several times upon reaching the vicinity of the Matu-og Elementary School.
The suspects, wearing black jackets and bonnets, immediately fled, heading south.
The victim was brought to the Guihulngan District Hospital where he was declared dead on arrival by the attending physician, Dr. Bianca Camille Bulaybulay.
Police recovered from the crime scene two pieces of fired cartridge cases of caliber .45 pistol.
Staff Sergeant Buen Diamano of the Guihulngan Police Station disclosed that the victim was arrested sometime last year in the nearby town of Tayasan during a buy-bust operation but was released later.
The Guihulngan police is still getting the details of the drug case involving Aragones.
Meanwhile, investigators still could not say if his death was related to the illegal drugs trade, Diamano said. (Mary Judaline Partlow PNA via NDB)