ASSASSINS ON BIKES STRIKE AGAIN: DAR employee is new victim of MRS killing

By: Jennifer P. Rendon 

AN EMPLOYEE of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) is the latest victim of motorcycle riding suspect (MRS) killing in Iloilo City.

Allan Salario, 51, who worked as a survey aide of DAR-Iloilo province, was fixing his owner-type jeepney around 5:45 a.m. of June 6, 2019 when a lone gunman shot him.

The victim was supposed to leave early for a DAR project in Estancia, Iloilo when the incident happened.

Residents heard at least three bursts of gun fire and later saw the victim slumped on the ground near his vehicle.

The incident happened near the victim’s temporary shelter at Metropolis Subdivision in Barangay Tagbac, Jaro district.

Salario, a resident of Barangay Calmay, Janiuay, Iloilo, suffered two gunshot injuries on his back and another in his head.

He died on the scene.

Police Captain Eduardo Siacon Jr., Jaro police chief, said a closed circuit television (CCTC) footage showed that the gunman passed by the police detachment at Barangay Balantang around 5:58 a.m.

Siacon said investigators are still looking for the suspect and possible motive of the incident.

“We could not also determine for now if the gunman is a hired killer or not,” he said.

Siacon clarified, though, that the victim is not on the watch list of suspected illegal drug personalities.

But a former co-worker said she noticed that Salario might have lacked a “little tact” when dealing with others.

Meanwhile, Engr. Roy Napud said he worked with the victim for 20 years already but the latter did not tell him about any threat to his life.

Their talks were allegedly confined to work-related topics.

Siacon said Salario joked about leaving his payag (hut) to a friend if something will happen to him.

 

MRS KILLINGS 

Prior to Salario’s death, another man was also killed by MRS on May 24, 2018 in Mandurriao, Iloilo City.

Police earlier said they already have leads on the case surrounding the death of 34-year-old Rana Reyes, a resident of Pavia, Iloilo.

Most MRS killings involved at least two suspects riding on a motorcycle, such as the case of Barangay Kagawad Joel Obregon, 61, who was gunned down evening of April 2, 2019 near his house at Barangay Pali-Benedicto, Mandurriao.

Obregon’s killing is just one of several MRS incidents in the past six months.

Just like the previous incidents, the assailants were never caught.

Prior to Obregon’s case, 40-year-old Lhuil Clemente was also gunned down while driving his motorcycle on the busy Mabini Street in City Proper district.

Clemente surrendered through Oplan Tokhang, government’s flagship campaign against illegal drugs, after the Molo Police Station classified him as a high value target (HVT) level 1.

A double murder incident involving MRS also happened Jan. 4, 2019 in Mandurriao.

The incident led to the deaths of Mercedes Nava, 66, a resident of Mejorada Street, Barangay Oñate-de Leon, Mandurriao, and Erwin Fontillas, 42, of Barangay Airport, Mandurriao.

Of the number of MRS killings since September 2018, the case of Nava and Fontillas was the only incident where police was able to identify the alleged suspects.

Police arrested brothers Julius and Roy de los Reyes, security aides of Councilor Plaridel Nava.

Nava, who lost in the vice mayoralty race, is Mercedes’ cousin.

But unlike Mercedes, previous MRS killings cases were tainted with illegal drugs.