The murder of the political adviser of a mayoralty candidate in Buenavista could not still be classified as election-related incident as of this time while the investigation is still in progress.

PSupt. Ricky Delelis, spokesperson of the Bohol Police Provincial Office, clarified this as he explained that the elections is still about five months away.

Moreover, the victim was singled out by the assailants when the candidates in Buenavista were with him during the incident.

Delelis, however, said investigators are looking into a number of angles in the killing of Engr. Ermilando Torregosa and political motivation is not disregarded.

While the investigation is ongoing, the manhunt for the assailants also continues.

Land dispute and personal grudge are also being looked into among the angles.       

The 73-year-old victim was shot by riding in tandem on November 23 in front of McDonald’s in Tubigon.

A CCTV was installed in the area, but the faces of the two men riding in tandem could not be recognized in the footage, because their faces were covered and a vehicle was blocking the view.

Torregosa had just arrived at Tubigon port from Cebu, together with three companions.

He was with Bañez, Jojo Mero—LP candidate for municipal councilor in Buenavista, and Buenavista Municipal Engineer Modesta Centillas who has been reassigned as a municipal market administrator.

It was learned that the victim and his companions went to Cebu City to follow up on the case they had filed against the incumbent mayor of Buenavista before the Office of the Ombudsman and Civil Service Commission.

The victim, a resident of Barangay Centro in Tubigon, assisted Bañez and company in filing their case against the incumbent mayor of Buenavista.

On this, “Bañez and his two companions believed that the killing of Torregosa was politically-motivated or by personal grudges,” according to Pinsp. Fernando Peroramas, the chief of police of Tubigon.

The victim and his three companions arrived Tubigon port at around 10 p.m. on November 23.

They boarded a tricycle from Tubigon Wharf and upon reaching the area across McDonald’s, Torregosa disembarked but was shot by riding in tandem.

According to investigators, the suspects passed by on board an XRM Honda motorcycle and the back rider pulled out a gun and shot the victim four times.

he riding in tandem immediately fled towards Clarin.

Witnesses described the back rider who was the gunman as thin and short then clad in black jacket and with a piece of cloth covering his face, while the driver was of chubby build and was wearing a helmet.

The victim sustained three gunshot wounds in different parts of his body, causing his instantaneous death.

Responding police team from Tubigon station recovered three empty shells of calibre .45 pistol and one slug from the crime scene.