The three men who were separately found dead with hack and gunshot wounds in three towns last week have been identified as a gun-for-hire gang leader and two of his associates in the crime ring, a police official said Monday.

Bohol Provincial Police Office (BPPO) deputy director for operations Lt. Col. Jacinto Mandal said follow-up investigations have indicated that one of the victims who was identified as Louegy Flores, 30, was an alleged gun-for-hire group leader and was wanted for murder and qualified theft.

“Based sa na gather na intel, gun for hire ni sa Bohol si [Flores]. Mao toy leader adtong grupo, kadtong duha nga associates to niya, kauban ra sila,” said Mandal.

Flores’ remains were found with multiple hack and gunshot wounds in Duero town on Monday last week.

The two other slain men who sustained similar injuries were identified as Niño Colin and Mark Betasa who were found dead in Loboc and Dimiao, respectively, on the same day.

According Mandal, the killings were likely connected and that the three men may have been killed together in the same area before they were dumped in the three municipalities.

“Based sa investigations allegedly gipang labog nalang to sila,” he said.

Police were able to piece together the trio’s relations based on their previous investigations in which the three men were tagged as suspects.

Mandal said investigators are still conducting a follow-up probe to identify the motive and suspects behind the murders.

He noted retaliation as possible motive considering the trio’s alleged illegal activities.

“Di ta ka discount sa mga taw na ilang napasakitan, kay kaning uban taw nagpakahilom nalang kay mahadlok mo sumbong…Basin naay mga taw na kahibaw sa ilang gibuhat pero wa na mo duol sa goberno,” he said.  

He however denied that there is a vigilante group operating in the province.

Meanwhile, police also continued their investigation to determine if Flores’ group had another members who continued to operate. (A. Doydora)