Sister of San Isidro, Leyte mayor killed in ambushed, wife and driver unharmed

By BiliranIsland.com Staff
BiliranIsland.com
Published 09:00 AM, December 23, 2022

Kananga, Leyte— The elder sister of San Isidro, Leyte mayor was declared Dead on Arrival at the Kananga Municipal Hospital after they were ambushed by unidentified gunmen on board an SUV about 4: 30 in the afternoon yesterday Wednesday, Dec 21, along the National Highway in Brgy. Libongao here.

Kananga COP Police Capt. Mark Ruiz identified the fatality as Juanita Balmoria Veloso, 77, single, retired administrator, and a resident of Brgy. Linao, San Isidro, Leyte. While her two companions of the victim who were unharmed on board the same vehicle were identified as Leleena Ygot Veloso, 61, wife of San Isidro Leyte Mayor Remedio Veloso, a resident of Brgy. Libongao, Kananga, Leyte, and Edmil Bacay, legal age, married, driver, and a resident of Brgy. Basod, San Isidro, Leyte.

The police said that their station received a call from a concerned citizen informing them about an alleged shooting incident at the aforementioned place. They immediately responded to the said call and proceeded to the reported place to verify the said report. Upon arrival the police said they found a vehicle a white Toyota Land Cruiser with Plate No. MJC-444 with its back glass windshield showed holes from bullet entry.

Leleena Veloso, told a local media that they were on the way to San Isidro, Leyte coming from Ormoc City when the unidentified persons on board a vehicle tailing them fired high power automatic rifle towards their vehicle hitting the mayor’s sister who was sitting at the back of the driver’s seat while she was seating beside her. She and the driver were unharmed from the shooting but her sister-in-law was slumped towards her after she was hit. The vehicle that tailed the victim’s car was a color Gray Nissan Navara bearing Plate Number ABN-7103 immediately fled the area towards Tacloban City.

She continued that her sister-in-law who was slumped at the back of the vehicle was pulled out by a rescue group and was immediately brought to Kananga Municipal Hospital for immediate medical attention but was declared Dead on Arrival by attending physician Dr. Jay Martin Tomayao.

The local police immediately conducted a hot pursuit operation and informed all adjacent Municipal Police Stations to conduct a checkpoint and immediately called the Ormoc Forensic Unit at the Ormoc City Police Office.

Personnel from SOCO that processed the crime scene recovered 40 pieces of empty shells of 5.56 mm at the crime scene.
A thorough investigation is being conducted by the local police against the suspects and the motive of the killing.