A 36-year-old seaman was shot dead by still unidentified assailants in Inabanga town at dawn on Monday.

The fatality, Miguel Macahibag of Barangay Cambitoon, who sustained three gunshot wounds in his head died on the spot, said Staff Sgt. Ronel Torrefiel of the Inabang Police Station.

According to Torrefiel, Macahibag was drinking his morning coffee when one of the two motorcycle-riding suspects who rode in tandem went near him and shot him in the head at point-blank range using a .45 caliber pistol.

“Hing gawas siya sa ilang bay kay mangape didto sa iyang under construction na spare parts na tindahan unya giduol, gipusil ika tulo…gi dul-it. Natinga nalang iyang asawa na dihay buto-buto mao paggawas, didto na iyang bana patay na,” said Torrefiel.  

Based on the police’s initial probe, two men who were believed to have been the assailants were already outside the residence of the victim on board motorcycle as early as 3 a.m.

Two witnesses who passed by the area at different times in the wee hours prior to the attack said that the men were sitting on a red XRM motorcycle.

“Dihay lumulupyo na nakalabay anang ilang bay 3 a.m., diha sa kung aha siya gipusil, diha na kunoy nangstambay na motor unya naay duha ka taw, dihay puy nalalabay mga hapit na 5 a.m. ug nakakita sa susamang motor didto,” he said.

Meanwhile, investigators are still continuing their probe on the case.

Torrefiel said that they were already following up on a possible angle behind Macahibag’s murder but did not reveal more details so as not to jeopardize the ongoing investigation.

Macahibag as a seaman was among the thousands of returning overseas Filipinos who entered the province in the past months while under strict entry protocols.

He reportedly arrived in Bohol in October. (A. Doydora)