Young farmer lured to his death

At just 19, Leon Bebe was an inspiration to many. The Gasparillo hydroponics farmer got instant online fame when two videos of him showing off his lettuce went viral back in February. His videos were shared thousands of times and Bebe was featured in a weekly newspaper.

On Tuesday night, Bebe and a friend went to Malick where he was supposed to collect money owed for produce. However, at 10 pm, he was ambushed and shot dead. His friend managed to escape, reportedly because the killer’s gun jammed.

Although his relatives declined to speak when Newsday visited their home yesterday, friends and strangers alike on social media mourned the teen’s death. Many called his murder, a sign of the times, as they said despite his hard work, Bebe still fell victim to crime.

Bebe was also one of the founders of Youths With Vision Agricultural Mission (YWVAM), a Facebook page dedicated to highlighting young farmers and their products. Bebe was known for his willingness to work and made several calls on his social media for people to live together and help out each other.

Yesterday, his Facebook account saw many people posting condolences to Bebe’s family and loved ones. An autopsy was expected to be done on his body yesterday.

Up to press time, his killer remained at large.