Two men have died while another remains injured in a gun attack in Sitio Burobor, Barangay Bangcagan, Bucay town in Abra on Tuesday evening.
Johnny Trinidad Marilag, 57, from Pagala, Bucay, perished, while his villagemates Arnold Anquillano Trinidad and Joshua Marquez from Poblacion, Tubo town were hurt.
The victims were rushed to the Bucay District Hospital,but Marilag was declared dead-on-arrival, while the two others were transferred to the Abra Provincial Hospital for further treatment. Trinidad died of his injuries during treatment at the hospital.
Authorities are now on the hunt for the yet-unidentified gunmen who used a .45 caliber gun to fire at a riverside gathering in Burobor in the cover of night before escaping.
Four .45 caliber bullet casings have been recovered.
According to Bucay town law enforcement, the victims were drinking in a riverside hut beside the river in Bangcagan when the gunman fired on them and fled on a motorcycle.
Investigators are now eyeing the possibility of the attack being politically motivated as initial investigations found that one of the victims was a former barangay official.
