Pubdate: Fri, 24 Dec 2004
Source: Sunstar Davao (Philippines)
Copyright: 2004 Sunstar
Contact:  http://www.sunstar.com.ph/davao/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1991
Note:  also listed for feedback
Author: Joy G. Romares

97TH VICTIM OF SUMMARY KILLING A DRUG SUSPECT

DAVAO CITY -- Police are looking at all possible angles in their 
investigation on the killing of a City Government employee detailed as 
member of the security group of Barangay 7-A in Davao City.

Chief Inspector Matthew Baccay, chief of the San Pedro police precinct, 
said Thursday they have yet to determine the motive behind the killing of 
Efren Torralba, 32, of Barangay 7-A, who was shot and killed by a 
motorcycle-riding gunman along General Luna Street Wednesday noon.

But Baccay said Torralba was a drug suspect, though the victim had never 
been monitored being involved in illegal drug activities.

Torralba was also facing charges of frustrated murder, Baccay said.

It was learned that Torralba was a member of the community affairs office 
at the City Hall.

He was detailed as a barangay policeman in Barangay 7-A.

At around noon Wednesday, Torralba was on his way to An Jul Eatery on 
General Luna Street to buy food when three men aboard a motorcycle appeared.

One of them pulled out a caliber .45 pistol and shot Torralba in the head 
twice.

The suspect sped off after the incident heading towards Mt. Apo St.

The Scene of the Crime Operation (Soco) team said Torralba died instantly.

Police recovered two empty shells and a slug of a caliber .45 pistol at the 
scene of crime.

Numeriano, Torralba's father, said his son received a death threat from an 
anonymous person just recently, but his son just ignored this.

Torralba was the 97th victim killed by motorcycle-riding gunmen believed to 
be members of the shadowy vigilante group that has come to be known as the 
Davao Death Squad.

On December 18, Jose Apollo Panal, 34, habal-habal driver, and resident of 
Exodus in Bankerohan, was shot dead by an unidentified man while he was 
walking along Mahogany Alley at around 10 p.m.

Panal, who succumbed to several wounds in the head, died instantly.

Reports said Panal was involved in illegal drug activities.
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