Benjamin E. Bayles was waiting for a ride at the crossing Sitio Antolo, Brgy. Suay when two men wearing helmets on board a black Honda TMX 155 with no license plate stopped nearby. The back rider disembarked and walked towards Benjamin. At about 3 meters away from him, the gunman shot him at different parts of his body. When the victim fell down, the driver of the motorcycle also came near the victim and shot him to ensure his death. Then the perpetrators left the area on board the motorcycle.
Benjamin E. Bayles was waiting for a ride at the crossing Sitio Antolo, Brgy. Suay when two men wearing helmets on board a black Honda TMX 155 with no license plate stopped nearby. The back rider disembarked and walked towards Benjamin. At about 3 meters away from him, the gunman shot him at different parts of his body. When the victim fell down, the driver of the motorcycle also came near the victim and shot him to ensure his death. Then the perpetrators left the area on board the motorcycle. Bystanders took Benjamin to the Valeriano Gatuslao District Hospital but he was pronounced dead-on-arrival.
Among the bystanders who witnessed the incident was a government employee who immediately called someone he knows from the Himamaylan City Philippine National Police (PNP) to report the incident.
The Himamaylan City PNP alerted the nearby Kabankalan City PNP who set up a check point and apprehended Roger M. Bahon and Ronnie L. Caurino. Two .45 caliber pistols were confiscated from the suspects.
The Kabankalan police, in their statement to DYEZ “Aksyon Radyo” Bacolod said that the suspects confessed to be “organic” members of the 61st IBPA. The two were turned over to the Himamaylan PNP and are now detained at the Himamaylan City Jail.
This morning, the Himamaylan PNP retracted from the Kabankalan police’s initial statement to the same radio station claiming that the suspects are not connected with the military.
Fred Caña, who also experienced unmitigated harassment and threats for his active involvement as Secretart General of KARAPATAN-Negros Occidental, expressed apprehension over the incident because Benjamin had been his constant companion in fact finding missions.