Doctor, husband shot dead in Negros Oriental —police

A physician and her husband were shot to their death in Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental on Tuesday afternoon, police said Wednesday.

Information from the Negros Oriental Provincial Police Office identified the victims as Mary Rose Sancelan and Edwin Sancelan.

An initial police investigation showed the couple were on their way home when the suspects shot them in Barangay Poblacion. The assailants immediately escaped.

Police said the victims were rushed to Guihulngan Hospital but were pronounced dead on arrival by the attending physician.

Recovered from the crime scene were 15 fired bullets of caliber .45 handgun.

A police investigation into the incident in ongoing. 

Red-tagged?

Meanwhile, human rights organization Karapatan-Negros Island identified said the doctor was the head of IATF Guihulngan City.

Karapatan said Sancelan was allegedly named number one in the supposed "hitlist" of KAGUBAK, an anti-communist vigilante group in Negros Oriental.

It added that Sancelan was allegedly tagged as JB Regalado, the spokesperson of Leonardo Panaligan Command of NPA-Central Negros.

"Together with her on the list are Atty. Anthony Trinidad and Heidie Malalay Flores who were killed in past years. We believe that this is part of the liquidation operation of the NTF- ELCAC. We strongly condemn this killing," Karapatan-Negros Island said. —LBG, GMA News