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By BEN SERRANO
Correspondent

BUTUAN City–Police yesterday stepped up their investigation into the gruesome killings of political supporters of a Liberal Party mayoral candidate in Surigao del Norte.

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This came following the shooting deaths of  37-year old Jojit Sembillo, and Ritchie Rosario,18, by masked men in Bagong Silang, Barangay Campo, Bacuag town in Surigao del Norte over the weekend.

Police immediately suspected that Sembillo and Rosario were killed due to politics, noting that they were staunch supporters of Ryan Orquina, LP’s mayoral candidate in Bacuag.

Investigators noted that Sembillo and Rosario brought to three the number of Orquina supporters who were killed by armed men in the town this month.

The other who was killed earlier was 57-year old LP coordinator Alyn Ranay Silagan who was shot dead at a beach resort owned by Orquina in Barangay Poblacion 1, Bacuag.

Bacuag police chief Senior Insp. Edgar Enrico Macaraeg said Sembillo and Rosario were a couple who were closely identified with Orquina, and who supported his campaign.

Macaraeg said the killers wore bonnets, and barged into the couple’s house through the backdoor. Each of victims were shot 13 times, indicating that the killers made sure they were dead.

Macaraeg said crime scene investigators found slugs from a M16 rifle at the crime scene.

Orquina confirmed that the latest victims, just like Silagan, were his staunch supporters, and were working in his campaign.

Macaraeg however said investigators have not ruled out the possibility that the victims were killed due to reasons not related to local politics.

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