A labor arbiter of the National Labor Relations Commission was gunned down by an alleged leader of the Revolutionary Proletarian Army-Alex Boncayao at about 1:30 a.m. yesterday in Brgy. Zone 14, Talisay City , Negros Occidental, police said.

The victim was identified as NLRC Labor Arbiter Phibun Pura, 60, of Carmela Valley Homes, Talisay City .

Supt. Joseph Thomas Martir, Talisay police chief, however, said the gunman identified as Edgar Nicor, alias Ka Joshua, was also shot, allegedly by Kenneth Tirthdas who tried to rescue Pura, who was his brother-in-law.

Martir said Pura was on his way out of the Talisay cockpit when he was shot from behind by Nicor with a .45 caliber pistol.

When Pura fell to the ground, Nicor turned him over and shot him again in the left eye. This caused his immediate death, Martir added.

Police investigations also showed that Nicor fired his gun, in what was probably an attempt to discourage anybody from pursuing him, while running towards his two companions who were waiting in a motorcycle.

Tirthdas who tried to help Pura, shot the fleeing Nicor, hitting him in the back twice, and left leg, Martir said.

Nicor, 35, a resident of Brgy. Cervantes, Escalante City , was declared dead on arrival at the Teresita Lopez Jalandoni Provincial Hospital .

Martir said a .45 caliber pistol and seven empty shells, as well as a black 110 cc motorcycle without a plate number, were recovered from the crime scene.

Two magazines of .45 caliber pistol with 18 live ammunition, a copy of safe conduct pass issued by the government in 2003 and a cellular phone were recovered from Nicor.

His two companions whose identities have not yet been established fled immediately.

Martir said the shooting of Pura may have been triggered by personal grudges, or related to his job as NLRC labor arbiter.

Tirthdas was nowhere to be found as of press time, although the police said they have information that he is willing to cooperate in their investigations of the incident.

In July 2005, the Sandiganbayan 2 nd Division issued an arrest warrant against Pura, in connection with the direct bribery charges filed against him by complainant Mabini Julayco.

In 2004, Pura was arrested during an entrapment operation by agents of the National Bureau of Investigation after receiving P25,000 in alleged bribe money. He, however, posted bail of P20,000 for his temporary liberty, when the arrest warrant served to him by policemen assigned from the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office.

In 2006, the Democratic Alliance of Labor Organizations filed a petition before the Presidential Anti-Graft Commission for the transfer of Pura and Executive Labor Arbiter Danilo Acosta for what they claimed “very slow disposition of labor cases.”

A group calling itself the Workers Justice Committee sent out text messages yesterday saying that the group was rejoicing at his death.*GPB

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