Revenge murder?

Maintenance head shot dead in Toril
THE MAINTENANCE head of Sirawan Polomolok Development Corporation, a food-processing company, was shot dead while sitting outside his office in Barangay Sirawan, Toril District at 9:15 p.m. Saturday.

Chief Insp. Ronald Lao, Toril Police Precinct commander, identified the victim as Vicente Echavia Roluna, 38, married, of Purok Lansones, Barangay Darong, Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur.

The still unidentified suspect was only described as wearing short pants, barefooted while his face was covered with t-shirt.

PO3 Edilfer Dorado, in his investigation, said two witnesses, name withheld, saw the victim sitting just outside his office.

They saw the suspect approached the victim, and instantly fired a gun. The suspect, the witnesses said, ran toward the back of the plant.

The police officer said the victim sustained gunshot on the left portion of his head. He was then rushed to the Mediquest hospital in Toril.

However, he was declared dead on arrival by the attending physician.

Dorado said the murder could be work-related.

“Based in our investigation, the company has released an order for the dismissal of some worker,” Dorado said. “The order passed through him so he could have taken the heat.”

The police officer said that they are still conducting follow-up investigation to identify and arrest the suspect.

Based on the regional office of the National Conciliation and Mediation Board, they recently conducted a “successful conciliation conference for the workers of Sirawan Polomolok Development Corporation.”

A total number of 127 workers who were separated from the company since 2007-2013 received their respective 13th month pay, service incentive leave pay and holiday pay from the management through the conciliation-mediation efforts of this branch.

The company released 480,860.93 for the settlement and even manifested that they will still accept these employees if they still want to work in company.

“The affected workers expressed their profound gratitude to the best effort extended by this branch in facilitating the release of their monetary benefits,” the NCMB said in a statement.