A witness in the cold-blooded murder of a former barangay chairman allegedly committed suicide at Project 1, Brgy. Sooc, Arevalo, Iloilo City.

Dindo Luzuriaga, 36, a pedicab driver, tied an electrical cord around his neck and hanged himself on a bamboo.

His body was found by his wife and aunt around 6:00 a.m. of yesterday. 

Senior Inspector Leah Peña, Arevalo police chief, said that Luzuriaga’s family declined any further investigation and ruled the incident to be suicide.

Luzuriaga was said to be have witnessed the killing of former Brgy. Capt. Joel Piñas, 51, of Brgy. Dungon-C, Mandurriao district last March 20, 2012.

On April 4, 2012, he made his first suicide attempt by slashing his wrist.

“Dindo’s wife told us that her husband suffered nervous breakdown after witnessing the killing,” Peña said.

To recall, Piñas was riding on a pedicab at Brgy. Dungon-C around when a gunman approached and sprayed bullets on the different parts of his body.

He was rushed to Western Visayas Medical Hospital but was declared dead on arrival.

Political allies claimed that Piñas death was politically-motivated since he was identified as “opposition” and was an active leader in the distribution of free bread to indigent families in the city.*