BCPO: Man Slain May Be Drug War Collateral

By Glazyl M. Jopson

BACOLOD CITY – Police are investigating if the killing of a man in Barangay Alangilan earlier this week is linked to his father’s alleged involvement in illegal drugs.

Police Maj. Joeil Reclamado, head of Police Station 5, said Wednesday that investigators suspect the victim’s father may have been the intended target.

He said a placard was found near the victim’s body accusing the father of being a drug pusher.

“With that, there’s a possibility that the target was the father, but the son got killed,” he said.

Reclamado clarified they cannot yet confirm if the incident is drug-related, as they have yet to interview the victim’s father.

He said police have identified one person of interest based on accounts from the victim’s family, friends, and relatives.

“We will start from there in order for us to identify the other persons involved,” he added.

The person of interest was reportedly with the victim, identified as “Christian,” before his body was discovered, and police are verifying whether this individual has links to illegal drugs.

The victim was last seen alive Sunday night, June 8, at a convenience store in Barangay Estefania.

A witness said he entered a gray sport utility vehicle (SUV) voluntarily, suggesting he knew the person inside.

Reclamado said they are still trying to obtain closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage to verify the account.

The victim, a resident of Barangay Estefania, was found dead on June 9 in a secluded area of Barangay Alangilan.

His body had a visible injury to the nape and was discovered lying on its side with duct tape covering his mouth, hands, and feet.

Police recovered five sachets of suspected shabu from his pocket, but it remains unclear if the drugs belonged to the victim or were planted.

Reclamado said the victim sustained two gunshot wounds to the head.

Fingerprint tests on the duct tape and recovered contraband are underway to help identify three to four suspects.

There were no signs of torture on the body, but results of the autopsy are expected in seven to eight days.

Reclamado said the attack appears to stem from personal grudges or hatred but is not being considered a case of summary execution.

He said the victim had no criminal record, aside from a complaint over unpaid debt at the barangay level.

He added that police are verifying all information to avoid misleading the investigation and estimated the probe to be 40 percent complete, noting the lack of solid evidence.

Police Col. Joeresty Coronica, director of the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO), who joined Reclamado at Wednesday’s press briefing, said a major challenge is that some witnesses offer intelligence information but refuse to submit affidavits.

He stressed that affidavits are essential for building strong cases.

“I’d like to point out that this incident no doubt boils down to illegal drugs,” Coronica said.

He cited the victim’s mother, who claimed her husband was previously arrested for drug-related offenses.

Coronica said killings like this are often tied to unresolved drug transactions.

He directed Police Station 4 to investigate the background of the victim and his father, whose residence falls under its jurisdiction, to determine if the killing was motivated by drugs or other reasons.

In addition to backtracking, Coronica said they will review more CCTV footage from areas where the SUV may have passed.

“We cannot say we are confident in solving this case unless we have strong evidence,” he said.

“But we are doing our best because it’s our mandate to prevent crimes, and if crime occurs, solve it.”