A municipal councilor of Buenavista, Bohol was killed by two motorcycle-riding
gunmen in the early hours of Friday, October 6, 2023.
The victim was identified as Danilo Hayag Añora, 56, a resident of Barangay Dait
Norte and an incumbent councilor of the town.
He was shot twice in the back and side of his body while riding his Honda XRM
motorcycle along the Cangawa National Highway around 12:30 a.m.
He was rushed to the Francisco Dagohoy Municipal Hospital in Inabanga town but
was declared dead on arrival by the attending physician.
According to the initial investigation by the Buenavista police, Añora had just left the
Buenavista cockpit arena where he watched a cockfighting event and was on his
way home when he was followed and attacked by the suspects.
The assailants were wearing helmets and jackets and fled towards the direction of
Getafe town after shooting Añora.
The police recovered two empty shells of a .45 caliber pistol at the crime scene.
The motive behind the killing is still unknown as of this writing. The police are looking
into possible angles such as personal grudge, politics, or involvement in illegal
activities.
Añora was serving his second term as a councilor of Buenavista and was affiliated
with the ruling PDP-Laban party. He was also a former barangay captain of Dait
Norte and a former president of the Association of Barangay Captains (ABC) in
Buenavista.
The Bohol Provincial Police Office (BPPO) has formed a Special Investigation Task
Group (SITG) to handle the case and identify the perpetrators.
The SITG is composed of personnel from the BPPO, the Buenavista police, the
Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), and the Scene of the Crime
Operatives (SOCO).
BPPO Director Colonel Lorenzo Batuan said they will coordinate with the local
government unit of Buenavista and the family of Añora to provide assistance and
security.
He also appealed to the public to cooperate with the authorities and report any
information that may help solve the case.
The killing of Añora is the latest in a series of crimes involving riding-in-tandem
suspects in the country.
According to the Senate blue ribbon committee, there were 114 such crimes
recorded by the Philippine National Police (PNP) in January 2021 alone.
From 2016 to January 2021, the Senate committee said there were over 19,000
crimes committed by motorcycle-riding criminals, of which 7,123 were murder cases.
Republic Act No. 11235, or the Motorcycle Crime Prevention Act mandates bigger,
readable, and color-coded number plates for motorcycles to make it easier for
eyewitnesses and authorities to identify them.
The said law is necessary to curb riding-in-tandem killings and bring justice to the
victims and their families.
The PNP was urged to intensify their campaign against motorcycle-related crimes
and arrest the perpetrators.