BAGUIO, Philippines – While the rest of the country was pelted with monsoon rains, the province of Abra was being rained on by bullets.

In the past six days, the province recorded four shooting incidents resulting in the death of two.

The latest was the shooting of a couple in Manabo town Tuesday afternoon, September 3.

The couple Rodel and Zoraida Bermudez were tending their store in Barangay San Ramon when armed men rode in tandem and sprayed bullets at them. Rodel was killed, while Zoraida was injured.

The five suspects were arrested in nearby Bucay town. They transferred into a Toyota Conquest pickup and left their Easyride Motorstar with an accomplice.

A police checkpoint at Bucay was able to capture the five with their guns inside the pick-up.

On the morning of Sunday, September 1, assailants riding a motorcycle in tandem fired thrice at the white Toyota Innova of former Dolores councilor Gregorio “Goyo” Castillo, 74, inside his lot at Sitio Curapo, Poblacion in Dolores town.

Castillo suffered a gunshot wound reportedly on the head and was brought to the Seares Hospital in Bangued while the suspects were able to escape.

Also on that day, Hidalgo Villanueva, 41, a farmer formerly from Tarlac, was sleeping in his unfinished house in Patucannay, Tayum town when two suspects entered the house and shot him in the head.

Villanueva died on the spot.

Finally on the night of August 29, former Bañacao Barangay Captain Marcelo Banayos, 58, of Bangued and his nephew Jansen Blanes, 20, were riding their white Nissan Navarra pick-up at San Antonio barangay when a black vehicle overtook them and started firing at the two.

Both suffered multiple injuries reportedly in the heads. Both are at the Abra Provincial Hospital. 

– Rappler.com